Blood Money
by Wannon
Summary: Wannon: *YAOI/Shounen ai* AU - Young love could be shattered if an assassin has his way. Someone's chosen one isn't what he seems, and his motivations are dark. Please R/R ^.^
1. Blood Money - 01

I feel like writing something.Which is why I'm here.Only I can't think of anything to write about…nuts! I'll ring Smee-chan and ask her for inspiration!! I'll do it right now!

~ A few minutes later… ~

Well, I rang her.She told me to write a Gundam Wing AU fanfic…I might just do that!! Ooh, with assassins and such! Yeah! And Wufei will be a ninja, and ooh! INSPIRATION HAS RETURNED!!

And of course, it'll be a 3x4.(My favourite) So anyway, death, destruction, sap and general OOC-ness will be expected.THIS IS AN 'AU' ANYWAY, SO THERE!

~ Wannon-chan ~ (…has gone nutty, mad, bonkers, loony…insane?)

# Blood Money – Part One.

His eyes fluttered open, falling on the lean form beside him.It was highlighted under the warm sunlight that was streaming in through the window.A soft smile touched his lips, before he gave in to temptation, tracing a single finger lovingly down the sleeping face of his lover.The contact caused the other to open his eyes, smiling broadly upon seeing his beloved.

"…Sorry, Quatre.I couldn't help myself," he whispered.Quatre's beautiful blue orbs widened.

"Sorry? Oh, Trowa.No need to be sorry…I enjoy waking up and seeing your face!" he exclaimed, pressing a soft kiss to his lover's forehead.Trowa smiled briefly, before a yawn interrupted it.Quatre looked at him, head tilted cutely to one side.

"Trowa? You look tired still…you should go back to sleep" he said, caressing the other's cheek.Trowa nodded his agreement and let his eyelids drop back over his emerald eyes, sighing contentedly.Quatre kissed his forehead one more time, before leaving the warmth of their bed, shivering as the cooler air curled around his body.He quickly grabbed a robe, wrapping it around himself, and quietly opened the door, taking one last look at Trowa before he left.

As Quatre made his way into the kitchen, a servant approached him.

"Master Quatre? There is a phone call for you, sir!" he said efficiently.Quatre nodded and went to the nearest video-phone.He picked it up.

"Hello, Quatre speaking," he said, his voice melodic and cheerful.A face appeared on the screen.It was Duo Maxwell, Quatre's long-time friend. They were close enough to be brothers…they considered themselves family.

"Q-man! How ya been?" Duo asked cheerfully, his violet eyes shining with happiness.Quatre smiled.

"Duo! I'm fine, but I haven't heard from you in a while…I was worried" he confessed.Duo looked sheepish.

"Uh…well, I've, uh…met someone…" Duo stammered.Quatre's face positively lit up, and he giggled.

"Ooh, who is it?" he asked.Duo blushed.

"Umm…his name is Heero Yuy.He's a…uh…well, he works with computers!" Duo said unconvincingly.Quatre fixed him with a happy smile, despite his doubts of Duo's truthfulness.

"That's great, Duo! Can Trowa and I meet him some time?" Quatre asked hopefully.Duo looked uncertain.

"Uh…I guess so…" Duo said."He's uh, not much of a social animal.He's really quiet, too…like Trowa was, only more so" Duo explained.Quatre smiled.

"Oh, is he there now? May I speak to him?" he asked.Duo sweatdropped.

"Ummm…yeah, okay," Duo mumbled, his face disappearing from view.

_"Heero! Come here for a sec, I got someone who wants to see ya!" Quatre heard.There were muffled voices and some scuffling, before Duo reappeared, this time with another face beside him.Duo smiled at Heero, who scowled._

"Hello, Heero.My name is Quatre Raberba Winner, nice to meet you!" Quatre said cheerfully. Heero's Prussian blue eyes flicked to Quatre, and he nodded.

"Hn," he replied.Quatre had to stop himself from giggling.__

_ _

_He really is worse than Trowa!…although Trowa has come out of his shell a bit…he thought.Duo looked flustered._

"See what I mean?" he asked once Heero had disappeared from view.He made a face."Sometimes he's okay, other times…he's a real bastard" Duo laughed, before his eyes bugged out.

_"Omae o korosu!" Heero's voice said, his hand grabbed Duo's long braid and began hitting him with it._

"Heero! Quit it! I'm sorry, I'm sorry…I didn't mean it, honest!" he cried, sweatdropping.Quatre smiled.

"Well, I guess if he makes you happy, then it can't be that bad" he said.Duo blushed.

"Er…yes" he replied, as Heero's face reappeared on screen.

"Duo is going now. Sayonara" he said.Quatre's eyes widened.

"Okay…bye Heero, bye Duo!" Quatre trilled, as Trowa appeared at his side.Heero was just reaching to hang up the phone, when Duo grabbed it from him.

"Trowa? Hello!" Duo said, as Heero gave the braided one a death glare.Trowa nodded.

"Hello, Duo." He said briefly, wrapping his arms around the small blonde in front of him.Heero appeared again, and Quatre sighed.

_This has got to have been the strangest phone call I have ever had! That Heero seems nice enough, despite the death threats… he thought, before Trowa took the phone from him._

"Heero Yuy.Never thought I'd see you again, especially not with Duo" he said.Heero's eyes widened.

"Trowa Barton?" he queried.Trowa nodded."Hn, never pictured you to be the settling-down type…not anymore, anyway" he said.Duo and Quatre looked at other, smiling.Then there was silence…long, intense silence.Quatre saw Heero giving Trowa a glare, and was shocked to find Trowa returning it.Quatre panicked, grabbing the phone from Trowa.

"Uhh, nice to meet you, Heero…but we really must go now.Sayonara!" he said cheerfully, before hanging the phone up.He looked at Trowa again, and the tall brunette had a strange look on his face…a fearful one.He gently touched Trowa's shoulder, and he jerked it away.Quatre's eyes filled with tears.

"Trowa? What's wrong?" he asked quietly.Trowa refused to look at him.

"Just leave me alone, Quatre" he said, before walking quietly away.Quatre stared after him, feeling hurt and puzzled.

_What is wrong with him? That Heero guy must have something to do with it… he thought, tears of rejection trickling down his face.He sniffled and wiped them away, deciding to let Trowa be alone for a while._

_But what can I do? I haven't been away from Trowa before…I can't think of anything to do! Quatre thought angrily.He let out a displeased 'hmph' before opting for a bubble bath._

~ * ~

Trowa curled up in his and Quatre's bed, shivering slightly.He hadn't seen Heero in years, and suddenly he's with one of his and Quatre's dearest friends.Heero and he had been lovers once…Trowa believed him to be the love of his life, they were so alike.But things turned sour when Trowa found out about Heero's less then loyal nature.Afraid of what would happen to him, Trowa left late at night, thinking he was free…he was wrong.

_I had hoped I'd never see him again…I should have known it was unavoidable.I feel terrible, lashing out at Quatre like that…he was only trying to help.But these memories…they're too much for me to bear.I don't want to burden Quatre with them. Trowa thought dejectedly, wrapping his arms around himself, and closing his eyes.Sleep soon claimed him, but it was not going to be pleasant…_

~ Flashback…duh! Oh, DAMN! I broke a nail! Stupid keyboard! ~

## Trowa looked at the figure before him.

_ _

_"Heero…" he whispered harshly.The figure approached him, removing the heavy trenchcoat he wore in order to protect his clothing from the rain.A smile was illuminated in the moonlight, but it was not a friendly one._

_ _

_"Trowa, how nice it is to see you again," Heero said menacingly.Trowa backed himself up against the wall._

_ _

_"How did you get in here, Yuy?!" he snapped.Heero merely laughed._

_ _

_"Hn, I'm surprised you even thought you could get away from me" He retorted.Trowa sucked in a sharp breath as Heero's callused hands caressed his cheek._

_ _

_"I-I told you, Yuy…stay away from me" he said, shaking as the hand was replaced with Heero's lips.Trowa shoved Heero away forcefully, and the boy, caught off-guard for once, stumbled backwards.Once Heero had regained his footing, he fixed Trowa with a sneer._

_ _

_"You'll pay for that," he said quietly, grabbing Trowa's wrists.The tall brunette struggled in vain…Heero was much stronger.Trowa felt his wrists being tied together, and let out a gasp._

_ _

_"No…" he whispered.A harsh laugh sounded in his ear._

_ _

_"You know you want this…" Heero said.Trowa began to struggle, as Heero divulged him of his clothing, pushing him back on the hard wooden floor.The last thing Trowa saw was Heero's smirking face, and those cold, dead eyes, before he blacked out._

~ * ~

Quatre relaxed in his bubble bath, popping random bubbles as he felt the urge.He sighed once, glancing at the empty space that Trowa usually filled.Just the thought of Trowa made Quatre's heart flutter…he'd never fallen so completely in love with someone before he met the mysterious green-eyed stranger.It had been when he and his late father took a trip to the circus.Quatre hadn't wanted to go, but his father insisted.

_"You're never too old for the Circus, Quatre! Come on, we never spend any time with each other anymore…"His father had said.Quatre couldn't possibly say no to him after that, and agreed to go.He was glad he did, for the highlight of his night was the tall clown, with the half-mask.Something about him made Quatre fall head over heels.His position in society enabled him to go wherever he liked, including in the Circus grounds, which let Quatre follow the enigmatic clown around like a puppy.This didn't go unnoticed by the clown, whose name was Trowa, Quatre found out, and they ended up spending a lot of time together…which also led to them eventually falling in love.They kept it a secret, and only saw each other when the Circus was in town.That is, until Quatre's father died.Trowa quit the circus to console Quatre, and it strengthened their bond even further.Trowa was then introduced to Duo, not as a friend, but as a lover.Quatre had been nervous about Duo's reaction, but the braided one smiled and hugged them both, confessing his sexual preference at the same time._

Now Quatre was a little concerned for his lover…Trowa had taken a while to emerge so far from his shell, and Quatre didn't want to have to try coax him out again.

## What could have possibly upset him so badly? And why can't he tell me?

~ * ~

Heero sneered at the sleeping Duo.He had exhausted him already.

_So, Trowa Barton is with the rich kid…well, this will make things a little more interesting… he thought.He rose from their sweat and semen soaked bed, heading for the shower._

Sometimes I wonder why I bother with this whole 'love' thing…oh, right.The money. Heero thought, as he washed away the stench of lies and sex.

I'll have to tell Duo eventually…win him over, onto my side.I need the money desperately.The only way I can get it is to get rid of the Winner child, and steal the part of the inheritance Duo gets. He thought.

Duo was written into Quatre's will, and if anything happened to the blonde bombshell, Duo would get a part of Quatre's money.

Although it seems that Duo won't be the only one receiving that money…Trowa has wormed his way into that kid's heart, he'll probably get the lion's share…I'll just have to knock him off, too…that way Duo will get it all.I need the money to help my assassins out… Heero thought desperately, the many faces of his assassins flashing in his mind.Once out of the shower, he found Duo was awake and smiling at him, his eyes half-lidded.

"Go back to sleep, Duo…" Heero said sternly.The chestnut-haired boy shook his head.

"Don' wan' go back to sleep…" he mumbled, yawning deeply afterwards.Heero sighed.

"Sleep, or I'll kill you" he warned, his voice taking on an edge of seriousness.Duo laughed.

"Heero! Don't even joke about it!" he said, before falling back onto the bed, closing his eyes.He was asleep and snoring within minutes.

Baka…Heero thought, as he sat down and began to make contact with his associates.

Pretty soon we'll have established a plan, then all I have to do until then is be a good 'boyfriend'…ugh.Duo isn't even my type…oh well, it's only for a little while longer… he told himself.

~ * ~

It had been a few days, and Quatre and Trowa had been unusually 'inactive'…

Every time Quatre went to touch Trowa, he would recoil and shudder.It hurt Quatre greatly, considering the fact that Trowa wouldn't open up to him. He had retracted into his shell once more, and not even Quatre could penetrate it.

It was a bad time for this to happen, too…it was Trowa's birthday.They sat apart on the large couch in one of Quatre's rooms, shooting nervous glances at each other.

"Happy Birthday, Trowa…" Quatre said finally.Trowa flashed him a weak smile.

"Thankyou Quatre…" he mumbled.Quatre presented him with a gift, which Trowa opened, thanked him for, and then put to one side.Trowa then made a comment about being tired, and moved to retreat into his room.Quatre sprung to his feet, a smile on his face.

"Trowa? Can I cuddle with you tonight?" he asked hopefully.Trowa turned his sad, emerald eyes to him, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Quatre…I just want to be alone" he replied.Quatre flinched and tears began to pool in his eyes.

"That's all you ever want! Why, Trowa? I thought you loved me! Why can't you tell me what's going on?!" he exclaimed, beginning to sob loudly.Trowa stood still as his lover broke down.

"Quatre…" he said softly.The little blonde looked pleadingly at him through tear-blurred aquamarine eyes.

"I'm sorry, Trowa but I tried! I tried to be understanding, I tried to give you your space, I tried, I tried…but I can't do it anymore! It's too much, Trowa…too much…" he sobbed, kneeling on the floor, wiping at his rapidly-flowing tears.Trowa took one step towards Quatre, before turning and walking away.

"Don't alienate yourself from me, Trowa!…if you can't bring yourself to touch me, to kiss me anymore…to even look at me, then you don't have to.Leave." Quatre said softly.That caught Trowa's attention.He stopped mid-step, looking back at Quatre.

"As you wish, Master Quatre" he replied sadly, before continuing on to his room.

~ * ~

Trowa stumbled up to his room, feeling the annoying prickling in his eyes.

I won't cry.I brought this upon myself…if I had been kinder to Quatre, more understanding of his frustrations…you fool, Trowa…you fool.You're nothing but a coward. He thought dejectedly, as he gathered his meager belongings and left, walking out past Quatre without a single word, ignoring the tears that fell from both of their eyes.

It's better this way, Quatre deserves so much better…

End of Part One.

Wannon-chan's long Authors notes;

Well, there you go.Part one is done, finished.

I'd just like to thank Smeegee-chan, for giving me the idea.I know I can always depend on you for inspiration, well, sometimes…I'm kidding!!

And now for something completely different…I'm trying to convince my mum to let me get the Internet! (No, I don't have it…I am primitive) 

~ Wannon-chan pauses to dance like a monkey ~

She (My mum) knows all about my fanfiction writing, and I told her it's essential to have…she said; "Don't bug me" that's not a "NO"!! so maybe I'll be in luck, and I might actually be able to contact everyone myself instead of going through Smee-chan! WON'T THAT BE BLOODY MARVELOUS?!

I know I'll be happy!

~ WANNON-CHAN ~ (ooh, capitals!!)


	2. Blood Money - 02

Hey there, all you…uh…people!

Well here's the second part.

Hope you enjoy it…I know I had fun writing it.There's just something about me and assassins, I dunno…I love assassin-type things…they're so exciting!!

Oh yeah, there'll be sap, angst, attempted humor and other things.I have a basic plan of what I wanna have happen, but at the mo', I'll just go with the flow. (Ooh, it rhymes!!)

And Wu-chan finally comes into play in this part!! (Oh happy day, huh Smee?)

Let me know what y'all think, mmmkay?

Oh yeah…Ryu Ichijouji is MINE!! MINE MINE MINE!! So there.

~ Wannon-chan ~

# Blood Money – Part Two

Treize Khushrenada yawned delicately, his arms tightening around the form of his Dragon, causing the smaller man to wake.

"…Treize" he mumbled softly.Treize nuzzled his hair.

"Good morning, Dragon, I trust you slept well?" he asked softly.Wufei turned to face his lover, placing a soft kiss upon his lips.

"I always sleep well in your arms" he replied with a sigh.Treize grinned.

"Glad to hear it…now, how does the idea of breakfast appeal to you?" he asked, laughing merrily as Wufei's stomach rumbled in response.

"I think there's no need to answer that question, my stomach summed it up quite nicely" Wufei said with a smile.Treize laughed, as he left the bed, helping Wufei untangle himself from their bedsheets.

They ate breakfast together, sharing smiles and quiet words.But their breakfast was interrupted by the arrival of one of Treize's ninjas.

~ * ~

Treize was a great believer in the ways of the ninja, and ran an assassination-type business, not unlike Heero's.The difference was, his was more respected, if such a thing was possible, and had ninjas instead of the modern-day-style assassin, with their sniper rifles, and such.His ninjas were well-trained, and deadly.

Having Heero as competition created a lot of stress, as some people didn't believe in the strength of his silent assassins…thought it was too primitive.Instead, they relied on Heero and his modern machinery to get the job done.

Sure…he would get the job done, but where was the honor? Shooting an unarmed someone in the skull from afar certainly wasn't honorable.

So Treize was determined to prove his ninja's worthiness, by ridding himself of the competition.All he needed was to wipe Heero and his assassins out, and his clients would have no choice but to return to him.

In today's world, there was no peace, no safety.It was civil war.Countrymen fighting each other, hatred and rage flowed freely.The authorities couldn't do a thing.

It was the perfect kind of world for a business such as Treize's…

~ * ~

The ninja bowed politely, his platinum-blonde hair falling in front of his face.

"Treize-sama…I am sorry to interrupt, but we have confirmation on the location of Heero Yuy" he said efficiently.Treize nodded.

"Continue, Zechs" he said.The ninja nodded.

"He has been spotted with a Duo Maxwell…who has close ties with the Winner boy, Quatre.We are unaware of his plans" he explained.Treize looked thoughtful.

"Hmm…an assassination of Winner would be easily done…that boy is too friendly for his own good.But why…?" Treize pondered.Wufei looked up at the now-pacing man.

"Treize…maybe this Maxwell fits into the Winner boy's will, somehow…" he suggested.Treize raised a forked eyebrow.

"Hmm, Dragon…you may be right" he said, turning to the ninja in the doorway.

"You said this Maxwell had close ties with Winner?" he asked.Zechs nodded.

"That's right, sir.Some type of close friendship" he replied.Treize smiled, his gaze returning to Wufei.

"Well, well…Dragon, you impress me" he said.Wufei blushed and ducked his head.

"Treize-sama, what would you like us to do about it?" the forgotten ninja inquired, causing Treize to jump a little.He looked from Wufei, to Zechs, back to Wufei again.

"Nothing.Wufei, I can handle it…alone" he said.Wufei looked towards Treize sharply.

"What?!" he snapped."Treize, that's ludicrous! I haven't taken part in a mission for months! And neither have you, for that matter!"

"Wufei, don't raise your voice to me" Treize said calmly, making Wufei cringe.

_Whoops…he called me Wufei, not good. He thought.'Dragon' was his name, as far as Treize was concerned, and the usage of his real name told Wufei that he was treading on thin ice._

"Forgive me, Treize…but you know I have a point" he said, calmly and evenly this time.Treize took a deep breath.

"Yes, Dragon, you are right.But we both know that we are capable.We are the best in our field.All we need is to fine-tune our training, and there will not be a problem." He said.Wufei sighed.

"Treize, I just-" he began.Treize placed a finger over his lips.

"Shh, my Dragon…we shall be fine" he said.Wufei nodded.

_I sure hope so… he thought, as Treize began going over plans._

~ * ~

Trowa knocked apprehensively on the door to his sister's house.She opened it, a confused look on her face.

"Trowa…? Trowa, what are you doing here?…ooh, if Quatre hurt you, I swear I'll-" Catherine began to rant.Trowa stood on the front porch, silent as usual, but his eyes were quickly filling with tears, which he attempted to blink back.

_Damn, spending too much time with Quatre has made me so mushy…I never used to cry like this… he thought.Catherine caught sight of the tears._

"Oh, Trowa…come in, come in…" she commanded.Catherine had been part of the same circus as he, they had a brother-sister act together involving knives.But when Trowa quit to be with Quatre, Catherine quit to be near to Trowa.

It had come in handy.

Trowa sat down on the couch, accepting the hug his sister offered.

"Wanna tell me what happened?" she asked softly.Trowa sighed.

"It's Heero…" he began.Catherine tensed, hugging her brother tighter.

"He didn't touch you again, did he?" she asked.Trowa sniffled uncharacteristically, blaming his 'weakness' on Quatre once more.

_He made me human again…too human…he thought._

"No, he didn't touch me, it's just…" he trailed off, yawning deeply.Catherine noticed immediately, and dragged him to her spare room.

"Tell me tomorrow, Trowa…you look exhausted.Listen, stay as long as you want, okay? It's no problem with me" she said.Trowa nodded sleepily, and Catherine kissed him goodnight.

"See you in the morning" she whispered, before leaving Trowa alone.

_Better get some sleep…maybe things will seem brighter in the morning… he thought, undressing and clambering into bed._

_But I doubt it…_

~ * ~

Quatre sat on a couch, listening to the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room.

::Tick, tock…tick, tock…::

The rhythmic sounds threatened to lull him to sleep, against his wishes.

_I can't fall asleep, I have to wait for Trowa to come back…I'm sure he knows I didn't mean it… he thought desperately.The servants knew to leave him well alone, and he was thankful._

_I don't need their words of encouragement…I need Trowa…he thought miserably.He leant backwards against the couch with a sigh._

_Maybe I should go get him…I know he'll be at Catherine's house.No, I can't just go and retrieve him like lost property…he needs to come back to me on his own. He thought with a sniffle.Slowly he stood up, walking over to the phone._

"Duo…I'll call Duo, he'll know what to do" he said to himself, dialing his best friend's number.It rang twice, before Heero's face appeared.

"What do you want?" he asked, not nastily, but not very politely, either.Quatre flushed.

"Uh, hello Heero…can I speak to Duo, please?" he asked softly.Heero's Prussian blue eyes flickered, before he leaned forwards and grabbed hold of something.Duo's braid.

"Oww! Heero, how many times have I got to tell you? _Not the braid!" Duo's voice exclaimed._

"Duo.Phone" Heero said sharply.Quatre heard Duo squeal.

"For me?! Who is it?" he asked, pushing Heero out of the way, and glancing at the screen.He lit up upon seeing Quatre's face.

"Q-man! Nice to hear from you!!" he exclaimed.Quatre smiled half-heartedly, and Duo frowned.

"Somethin' wrong, Q-buddy?" he inquired.Quatre's eyes filled with tears, and he sniffled.

"Duo, Trowa left me…and it's all my fault!!" he wailed.Duo facefaulted.

"Whoa, Q, calm down…uh, I'll be there soon, alright?" he asked.Quatre sniffled again and nodded.

"Okay…" he said quietly, a tear trickling down his porcelain cheek.Duo turned to look at Heero, eyes pleading.

"I gotta go see Quatre for a while, Heero…I'll see you later.You'll be okay here by yourself, right?" he asked.Quatre heard Heero snort.

"Of course" he heard Heero reply.Duo turned back to Quatre, beaming.

"Okay! I'll see you soon!…ooh, and I'll bring some alcohol! Things don't hurt so much when you're drunk!" he exclaimed.Quatre smiled weakly, and nodded.

"Bye…" he said, before hanging up.He sat back down on the couch.All he had to do now was wait for Duo.

::Tick, tock…tick, tock…::

Quatre resumed his vigil, his gaze fixing on the front door.

_I knew I could count on Duo…he's always been there for me._

~ * ~

Heero watched as Duo pulled on a leather jacket, flipping his chestnut braid over his shoulder.He looked back at Heero with a wink.

"Sorry babe, but Quatre's my best bud! I can't leave him like that.You understand, don't ya?" he asked, flinging his arms around Heero's neck, and nuzzling against him playfully.Heero nipped at his earlobe, causing Duo to yelp.

"Go, Duo." He commanded.Duo responded with a sweet kiss.

"Thanks Heero.I knew I could count on you…" he said softly, before walking out the door.Heero heard the roar of Duo's motorcycle and sighed to himself.

_I know I'm supposed to be playing the good boyfriend…but I think I'm getting too used to it.Damn it, Heero! You're not supposed to like him! Think of the mission, not that crazy baka…he told himself.But the violet eyes wouldn't leave him in peace.With an angry growl, Heero suppressed all feelings for Duo, hiding them deeper within himself._

_The mission comes first._

~ * ~

Duo winked at the liquor store owner as he left.

"Thanks Ryu-san! Catch you later, alright?" he called, as he leapt back onto his motorcycle, and headed to Quatre's estate.He was a frequent customer at Ryu Ichijouji's liquor store, and Ryu always gave him a good deal.

The large Winner estate loomed up in front of him, and Duo took a deep breath, knowing what to expect.Quatre, tears, and sad music.

He was wrong.

Knocking hesitantly on the large front door, Duo was surprised to see Quatre open it himself, his eyes dull, and his face blank.

"Duo…I'm so glad you made it" he said monotonously.Duo was taken aback by this unusual sight.

"Q-chan? Oh, it's worse than I thought…" he said, as Quatre took his hand and led him inside.Once in the large mansion, they sat together on the couch, Duo looked worriedly at the blonde.

"Wanna tell me, Q?" he asked tentatively.Quatre turned those empty eyes towards him, and to Duo's relief, they filled with tears.

_Good, this is good.Tears, I can handle…this empty, blank-faced thing he's got goin on…I'm not sure.Duo thought, as Quatre began his sad tale.Duo retrieved the bottle of vodka he had purchased, and Quatre eagerly gulped a few shots down, loosening him up.Pretty soon he was back to his normal self, with the sad eyes, the tears and…well, no sad music, but then again, Quatre was far too tiddly to play the violin._

"'Sall my fault, Duo…no more Trowa, nope! He's gone, gone, gone!" Quatre sobbed.Duo hugged Quatre tightly.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Q.I betcha the Tro-man will come to his senses sooner or later.He should know you're too much of a treasure to leave!" Duo said cheerfully.Quatre sniffled, his tear-blurred eyes focusing hazily on Duo's face.He smiled suddenly, and Duo waited for the explanation.

"Heyyy Duo…you're realllly pretty, you know thaaat?" Quatre slurred.Duo sweatdropped.

"Uh, what about Trowa?" he asked.Quatre smiled lecherously at him.

_Maybe getting Quatre drunk wasn't such a good idea…he thought worriedly._

"Screww Trowaaa…nooo, screww you!" he said with a giggle, kissing Duo abruptly.Duo was shocked.Quatre would never act this way, he was incredibly loyal to his love.He pushed Quatre off of him firmly, fixing him with a glare.

"Quatre…don't do this, you'll regret it," he said.Quatre snorted.

"Nooo, I won't! I want youu, Duo…I've wanted you for a looong time!" he protested, before falling asleep on Duo's chest.Duo chuckled.

"Believe me, kid…if we weren't both involved, things would have turned out differently just now," he confided in the sleeping angel. 

_Oh yeah…it definitely would have been different… he thought, as he stroked the golden strands of hair.Duo made himself comfortable, and with a sigh, succumbed to sleep._

## End Part Two

Oh nuts! That's _not what I thought was going to happen!! Argh! Oh well…no harm done, really.Well, next part should be a little less relationship-based, and it should start getting action-packed!! Okay, maybe just action-laced.Well, it'll have action in it…maybe.NOOOO! I'm not being convincing!!_

Tell me if you're enjoying this, so I feel compelled to write more, kay? Thankya!

~ Wannon-chan ~


	3. Blood Money - 03

Hola!! Como estas? ::giggle::Well, that's a new greeting for me! Espanol! Where's the damn squiggly n, huh? Ah, found it. ññññññññññ, hee hee!

Lalala, Lalalalala! ::snicker:: okay, well as you can see…I'm kinda not in the right frame of mind to write authors notes…I'm a little tired, and feeling overly SILLY!

I'm also extremely hungry…bugger!! I have NO FOOD! Why hasn't my mum gone eshopping, huh? Why? Why is eshe eso eslack? ESTUPID MOTHER!! Nah, she's alright.Sometimes…

Hmm…okay! I start now! Oh, and I know I _said it'd get interesting in this part…I lied, it'll probably suck.Or not, I dunno.Let me know what you think!!_

~ Wannon-chan ~

Blood Money, Part Three.

Trowa awoke slowly, feeling unsure of his surroundings.

_Where am I? He pondered, as he glanced around the room.He jumped in surprise upon seeing someone holding his hand.Catherine._

_Oh, that's right…I'm at Catherine's house…Trowa remembered.He smiled softly at her sleeping form, attempting to move without waking her.He wasn't so lucky._

"Trowa…you're awake!" she exclaimed sleepily, sitting upright in her chair.Trowa nodded.

"Good morning, Catherine," he said quietly.She smiled sweetly.

"I guess you're wondering why I'm here, huh?" she asked.Trowa nodded, and she sighed.

"You were having a nasty dream…I came in to comfort you," she said.Trowa gave her a thankful smile.

"Thankyou, Catherine…" he replied, and she let go of his hand.They got up and ate breakfast, Catherine watching her brother the entire time.Trowa sighed.

"You want to know about Heero, right?" he asked.Catherine blinked.

"Uh, yes." She replied quickly.Trowa shook his head.

"He's…involved with Duo," he said.His sister's eyes widened.

"What?! And you haven't warned Duo?! Trowa!! He could be in trouble!" she exclaimed.Trowa's visible eye widened suddenly.

"Oh, no…Duo! I never thought of that!!" he yelped, rushing to the phone.Catherine felt her stomach sink.

_Poor Trowa…I wonder why he and Quatre are fighting? It probably has something to do with Heero, but I thought their relationship was much more stable than that… I just hope Duo's okay…Trowa would never forgive himself if anything happened to him… she thought._

~ * ~

Wufei wiped the sweat from his brow with a soft towel.He and Treize had been training hard all day, and already the results were showing.He was quicker than he had ever been, even faster than Treize himself.

"Dragon, you make me feel so old…" Treize said with a laugh.Wufei grinned proudly.

"You're just holding back! You can do much better than this, Treize! Come on, you used to really push me to my limits…" he crowed.Treize frowned.

"No, I'm doing my best…" he protested, and continued once Wufei gave him a dubious look.

"Well, I am getting older, Dragon.And you should be better than me.You _are my best ninja, after all…" he reassured him.Wufei nodded._

"When do we strike?" he asked.Treize frowned.

"Well…there's been no more sightings of Yuy at this point in time…although Maxwell was spotted entering the Winner estate late last night.He hasn't come out since.We suspect Heero will strike soon, once the Winner child is in an easy position for…assassinating" he explained.

"So we need to find out Heero's strategy, and intercept him, right?" Wufei asked.Treize raised a forked eyebrow.

"Precisely.We will take him out, as he is the only thing keeping his unprofessional bunch together.Without him they will surely crumble," Treize claimed.Wufei smiled then, an irrepressible evil glint in his eyes.

"And then you will profit greatly…hmm, what are you going to do with all the money, Treize?" he asked.Treize bent down and cupped Wufei's chin with his gentle hand.

"Whatever my Dragon wants…" he purred, causing Wufei to smile.Treize pressed his lips to Wufei's, kissing softly but passionately.Wufei moaned in delight, raising up to his toes to wrap his arms around Treize's neck, pulling them closer together.The kiss deepened, absorbing them both into each other, completely unaware of anything else.They didn't hear the throat being cleared from behind them.

"Treize-sama!" the voice interrupted loudly, causing Wufei and Treize to pull apart swiftly, glaring in shock at the sudden interruption of their private moment.

"Zechs, I was busy…" Treize said, displeased at having his precious time alone with his Dragon interrupted.Zechs bowed apologetically, his brow creased with worry.

"Forgive me, Treize-sama…but there is something you need to see…," he said, his voice cracking.Treize and Wufei shared a concerned look, before following Zechs into the basement, which doubled as their infirmary.Wufei let out a soft cry at what he saw, and he rushed into the room.

"Zechs…" Treize said, his voice apologetic.Zechs shook his head.

"She knew the risks…I'm just sorry that I wasn't there to save her…" he said softly.Treize nodded, entering the room with the platinum blonde.He approached the table where Lucrezia Noin was lain out, gasping at the horrific wounding she had suffered.She had been shot in the head, as per usual for Heero's assassins, but it was what had been done to her back that disgusted Treize.There was a message carved into it, the obvious handiwork of Heero's lackeys.It read:

_Back off, Treize. – H._

Treize scowled at the sick pun, and stormed from the room.Wufei looked to Zechs, the sad-eyed blonde was hovering over his love's body.

"Zechs? Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to stay?" he asked quietly.Zechs managed a weak smile.

"Go to Treize, Wufei.I will be fine…I need to say goodbye," he said slowly.Wufei nodded, before seeking out his lover.He found him in the rose garden, seated on the stone bench, head in his hands.

Their hideout was near the edge of a forest, and he and Treize had turned it into a beautiful sanctuary, away from the madness of the rest of the world.It was their wish to be buried in this place, side-by-side, if anything happened to them.

Wufei sat down next to Treize, his onyx eyes shimmering with concern.Treize turned to look at him, his face twisted with grief.

"Wufei…this is too terrible.Yuy has gone too far." He said, deadpan.Wufei fixed him with a determined look.

"We shall exact our justice.Noin will have not died in vain, Treize.I will make sure of it," he said.Treize smiled.

"You have such a way with words, Dragon…such an honorable young man…" he said, causing Wufei's cheeks to flush.

"Thankyou, Treize…" he replied.Treize sighed deeply, before inhaling the many scents of his roses.He looked at Wufei, cornflower blue eyes turning wistful.

"Do you ever wish…wish that the world was different? That we didn't have to do this? Kill for a living?" he asked Wufei.The slight Chinese man nodded.

"Of course…I think everyone secretly wishes things could be different, in one way or another…" he said.Treize nodded, drawing Wufei to his side, embracing him.They sat in silence, mourning a friend lost.

~ * ~

Trowa steeled himself, hoping Duo would answer.His hopes went unnoticed, as the all-too familiar face of Heero Yuy appeared on the screen, scowling at him.

"Barton…what do you want?" the nasal monotone inquired.Trowa frowned.

"Where is Duo? I need to talk to him." He said evenly, although he could feel his palms beginning to sweat in fear.Heero smirked, one of his dark eyebrows raising.

"Hn, I suppose you're going to try and warn him about me? Well, you have no right to do that.I might have changed, Barton.You don't know…do you want to ruin your friend's happiness by accusing me of such dishonorable things? He'd never believe you…he's in _love with me! Do you believe it?!" Heero asked, smiling nastily when Trowa's face fell for just a moment, before quickly being replaced by an emotionless wall again._

"People don't change, Yuy.Not that quickly…now where is Duo?!" Trowa demanded.Heero snorted.

"No, I don't think I'll tell you.Say, where are you, Barton? Did you and your koi have a little quarrel?" he said snidely.Trowa was about to answer when he heard an angry sigh from behind him, and Catherine snatched the phone from him.

"You slimy bastard, Yuy!Stay away from Duo.And stay away from Trowa and Quatre, too.I don't know what you did to upset them, but I won't stand for it!" she snapped.Heero merely smiled, before laughing.

"Hello, Catherine.Let me give you a word of advice, my dear.You would do best to stay the hell out of this…I wouldn't want to muss up your pretty face, now would I?" he spat.Catherine fumed.

"You would, wouldn't you? Dishonorable cur…you _would threaten a woman! The nerve!" she said.Trowa glared at Heero._

"Stay away from my sister, Yuy.I mean it…" he warned.Heero snorted.

"I will, so long as she stays out of this…" he began.Then he smiled."Oh, if you _really want to speak with Duo…I would suggest trying your precious Quatre's house.That's where he was heading last I heard.Poor little Winner brat was sniveling about something…pathetic." He said.Trowa growled._

"Don't you dare speak about him li-" he began, but Heero had hung up.

"Bastard!" Catherine spat.She gave her brother a warm hug."Don't worry about him, Tro-chan…he's not worth the effort," she said soothingly.Trowa began to tremble with a concoction of fear and rage.

"I have to warn Duo…I don't want him suffering the same fate as me," he said, voice quaking.Catherine nodded, but held his hand, offering him support.Trowa dialed Quatre's house.

# Please don't answer, Quatre…I don't think I could withstand your tears…

~ * ~

The phone rang loudly in the Winner mansion, waking Duo.He grinned at the still-sleeping Quatre, before carefully slipping out from under him to answer the phone.

"Hello?" he said sleepily.Trowa's relieved face appeared on the screen.

"Hi, Duo…I really need to speak with you, in private…" he said softly.Duo frowned.

"I should think so! How could you leave Quatre? He's so upset!" he said, gesturing to the sleeping form behind him.Trowa's eyes widened, softening slightly, and once again he felt the telltale prickle of tears.

"It's not about Quatre.It's about you…or more specifically, Heero," he said.Duo was about to answer, when Quatre's head slowly lifted, wincing.

"Trowa?" he whispered hoarsely, his bloodshot eyes trying to focus on the screen.Trowa bit his lip.

"Duo, I gotta go…I'm at Catherine's, meet me there," he said, and hung up.Duo stared at the now-blank screen, then at Quatre's highly upset face.

"Trowaaaa!" Quatre moaned, bursting into tears.Duo sighed, and sat next to the wailing Winner, hugging him tightly.

"Hey, don't worry Quatre…he's going through a rough patch, okay? As soon as he's ready, he'll come back." He assured him.Quatre's tears stopped, and he sniffled, looking up at Duo.

"You think so?" he asked quietly.Duo smiled.

"I know so, kid.I gotta go, there's a problem…Trowa wants to talk to me about Heero, for some reason.Wonder what it's about, huh?" he babbled.Quatre's face lit up.

"I'm coming with you!!" he exclaimed, wincing at his loud exclamation.Duo chuckled softly.

"No, way! You've got a hangover, Q.You gotta stay here and rest.I'll tell Trowa you're sorry, and want him to come home.Okay?" he said.Quatre looked about to protest, when he obviously changed his mind.

"Okay…" he whispered, closing his eyes."Goodbye, Duo…thankyou,"

"Anytime, Q-chan…hey, how about we go for a walk tomorrow when you're feeling better, huh?" he whispered back, grabbing his coat.Quatre lifted his head again and smiled.

"I'd like that, Duo," he replied."See you later…" Duo left, closing the door quietly behind him.

~ * ~

Duo decided to stop in at his house to change his clothes.It wouldn't do to turn up at Catherine's house all smelly.He laughed as he walked in the door, seeing Heero was typing furiously on his laptop.

"Hey babe! Have you even left the house since I saw you last, huh? You have such a strange fixation with that laptop, I swear…" he said, pulling a face when Heero closed the laptop, hiding whatever it was he was doing from view.

"Duo…you're home early" he said.Duo grinned.

"Yup! I just came home to change, then I'm off out again to Catherine's place," he said.Heero's eyes widened.

"Catherine?" he asked suspiciously, although he knew very well who it was.

"Trowa's sister…Trowa needs to talk to me about something," Duo replied, as he changed.

"I'm coming with you," Heero stated.Duo snorted, as he got trapped in his tight black T-shirt.

"Yeah, whatever…you and he don't get along, Heero.As much as I wanna spend time with you, I don't think putting you and Trowa in the same room is a good idea…" he said.Heero frowned.

"I'm coming with you, Duo!" he said firmly.Duo frowned back at him.

"No.Sorry, babe, but you weren't invited…oh, and Quatre and I are going for a walk tomorrow sometime.You might be able to come with us then…" he said.Heero looked thoughtful.

"No…I think I'm busy tomorrow…I have an errand to run…" he said.Duo shrugged.

"Okay then…I'll see you later then, huh? I shouldn't be too long!" he called, as once more he rushed from the house.Heero waited until he was gone, before opening up a new email.In it he wrote;

# Q & D, walk, tomorrow.I'll be with you.That's when we strike. – H

_ _

## End of Part Three

Hmm, methinks that the next part should be the last, then there will probably be an epilogue…I dunno yet.I'll just see how much garbage I can spout in the next chapter.

Well, it was kinda…odd, this chapter.I didn't wanna put Noin and Zechs together, but I had no choice.::Sigh::

Oh well, wish me luck for the next chapter. ^.^

This is ~ Wannon-chan ~ signing off.


	4. What Can I Do?

Hello you…

This is kind of a side-story to 'Blood Money'.It's part of the series, but you don't need to read this if you're reading the series.You do, however, need to read the series to fully understand the reasoning behind all this nonsense.So if you haven't read it…READ IT NOW!!

We-hell, with all that done, I can say…this is a songfic.A songfic of epic proportions!! (Jokes!)

No, really.It's a Gundam Wing songfic. (Duh)

The song is "What Can I Do" by The Corrs…I luv Irish-y music!! ^.^

Sorry if it's a little OOC…hey, most o' my ficcies are!! But mainly the reason for OOC-ness in this would be…COS I'VE NEVER SEEN THE ANIME!!

All I know about it has been derived from other fanfics.So there.That explains any OOC-ness in the 'Blood Money' series too.

Hope it's alright…

~ Wannon-chan ~

## What Can I Do

Quatre Raberba Winner couldn't sleep.He arose from their bed…his bed, and walked over to a treasured photo frame.He stared at the man in the photo, releasing a sigh.

_ _

_It's only been a couple of days…and I miss him so much… He thought._

~ I haven't slept at all in days,

It's been so long since we've talked…~

Quatre traced the outline of the man's face with his finger.

Well…its not like we haven't fought before…but this kind of thing hasn't happened before…is it me? Am I doing something wrong?

_ _

~ And I have been here many times,

I just don't know what I'm doing wrong…~

Quatre set the photo frame back down, giving it one last, long look before lying back on his bed, and replaying the scene in his mind.

* _It had been a few days, and Quatre and Trowa had been unusually 'inactive'…_

_Every time Quatre went to touch Trowa, he would recoil and shudder.It hurt Quatre greatly, considering the fact that Trowa wouldn't open up to him.He had retracted into his shell once more, and not even Quatre could penetrate it._

_ _

_It was a bad time for this to happen, too…it was Trowa's birthday.They sat apart on the large couch in one of Quatre's rooms, shooting nervous glances at each other._

_ _

_"Happy Birthday, Trowa…" Quatre said finally.Trowa flashed him a weak smile._

_ _

_"Thankyou Quatre…" he mumbled.Quatre presented him with a gift, which Trowa opened, thanked him for, and then put to one side.Trowa then made a comment about being tired, and moved to retreat into his room.Quatre sprung to his feet, a smile on his face._

_ _

_"Trowa? Can I cuddle with you tonight?" he asked hopefully.Trowa turned his sad, emerald eyes to him, and shook his head._

_ _

_"I'm sorry, Quatre…I just want to be alone" he replied.Quatre flinched and tears began to pool in his eyes._

_ _

_"That's all you ever want! Why, Trowa? I thought you loved me! Why can't you tell me what's going on?!" he exclaimed, beginning to sob loudly.Trowa stood still as his lover broke down._

_ _

_"Quatre…" he said softly.The little blonde looked pleadingly at him through tear-blurred aquamarine eyes._

_ _

_"I'm sorry, Trowa but I tried! I tried to be understanding, I tried to give you your space, I tried, I tried…but I can't do it anymore! It's too much, Trowa…too much…" he sobbed, kneeling on the floor, wiping at his rapidly-flowing tears.Trowa took one step towards Quatre, before turning and walking away._

_ _

_"Don't alienate yourself from me, Trowa!…if you can't bring yourself to touch me, to kiss me anymore…to even look at me, then you don't have to.Leave." Quatre said softly.That caught Trowa's attention.He stopped mid-step, looking back at Quatre._

_ _

_"As you wish, Master Quatre" he replied sadly, before continuing on to his room.*_

~ What can I do to make you love me?

What can I do to make you care?

What can I say to make you feel this?

### What can I do to get you there? ~

_* Quatre felt a burning rage building inside him, and he watched Trowa retreat to their room.Quatre never thought Trowa would take his advice…but when Trowa came down with his suitcase packed, and tears streaming from his eyes, he knew he was leaving._

_ _

_Trowa left without a single word, ignoring the tears both were shedding._

_ _

_Quatre was alone. *_

~ There's only so much I can take

And I just gotta let it go

And who knows I might feel better

If I don't try and I don't hope ~

Quatre cringed at that memory.He knew he should have been much kinder to Trowa…but he couldn't change the past.

_ _

_Maybe if I let him go…he'll come back to me…Quatre thought.Another part of him wasn't so sure._

_ _

_Yeah, wonderful…let him find someone else, Quatre…good idea! It chided.Quatre frowned._

_ _

_Well what do I do, then? How can I bring him back to me? How can I show him how much he means to me? He thought anxiously._

~ What can I do to make you love me?

What can I do to make you care?

What can I say to make you feel this?

What can I do to get you there? ~

Quatre stood up once more, pacing around his spacious bedroom.

Finally he came to a stop, collapsing onto his butt and sighing in defeat.

_ _

_This is it.Quatre Raberba Winner is giving up…I never thought this day would come.Looks like there are some things money really can't buy…he thought.He wiped the small tears from his eyes, and sniffled._

_ _

_Trowa deserves better…I'm just a pompous rich boy…I'm nothing. He thought dejectedly, sinking deeper and deeper into the well of self-hate he had begun to dig for himself._

# I give up…

~ No more waiting no more aching

No more fighting no more trying… 

Maybe there's nothing more to say

And in a funny way I'm calm

Because the power is not mine

I'm just gonna let it fly ~

He stood and took the picture frame from his nightstand once more, gazing deeply at it, as though it would give him the answers his heart so desperately needed.

_ _

_But…is this really what I want? Do I really want to give up on Trowa this easily? He wondered.Trowa's eyes seemed so sad and hollow in the picture…he may have plastered on a happy face while Quatre was around, but he was hiding some deep emotions behind that smile._

# 

# He really has some issues…I never noticed!…I'm more than willing to help him. I could help him…oh, Trowa…come back to me…

~ What can I do to make you love me

What can I do to make you care

What can I say to make you feel this

What can I do to get you there ~

Quatre decided that Trowa _would return…with a little persuasion._

He would try anything and everything, just to have his beloved back in his arms.Nobody knew just how much that 'circus clown' meant to Quatre…he was his world, his life, and his heart.He would do anything for him.

Quatre took one more look at the photo, before placing it back on the nightstand.

# 

# Trowa Barton…you're definitely worth it…

The End.

Whaddya think? My very first attempt at a songfic! …and a Gundam Wing one, too!

I've never even SEEN the program!! 

Oh well…I'm kinda proud of it…not that it makes much sense.

Let me know what y'all think, mmmkay? It's important to me to know if you liked it…or not.

Thankyou!!

~ Wannon-chan ~


	5. Blood Money - 04

Hey-hey!

Well, I thought this would be the final part…I was wrong.I need to divide it into two, or else it'll be so much bigger than the other parts.Hang in there, guys! I promise I'll do my best to get it done!

So this part basically revolves around the relationship aspect…and a little bit of 'business' too. ::Evil grin::

Ah, to be an assassin…

So yeah.This shall be a bit of a crappy part…gomen!! The next part will hopefully make up for it!!

~ Wannon-chan ~

Blood Money Part Four.

Duo knocked on Catherine's door, and waited.Trowa opened it and dragged Duo inside.

"Whoa, Trowa! Impatient, aren't we?" Duo teased.Trowa's facial expression didn't change, it stayed as unsure as it was while Duo was on the phone to him.

"No joking, Duo…it's time to be serious," Trowa said quietly.Duo frowned.

"Something's reaaaally buggin' you, huh?" he asked.Trowa sighed.

"Sit down, Duo…this'll be a shock." He said softly, and Duo did as he was asked.

"So tell me…" he prompted the taller boy.Trowa sighed again.

"Okay…I was…_with Heero, before Quatre came along.We were happy together, and I thought I was in love with him…don't interrupt!" he warned, pointing at Duo, whose mouth had begun to open._

"One day, I found out about his less-than-loyal nature…turns out I was simply one of his many 'pets' which he gathered as he found them.I left him, because of it, moved away…but he found me.He found me, and…he violated me." Trowa choked out.Duo's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Heero raped you?! Trowa!…I'm so sorry…" he cried, wrapping his arms around the taller boy, pulling him close.Trowa didn't cry, but instead let out a large sigh.

"Yes, Duo…I should have told you sooner, I really should have.He could have done the same to you…" he said.Duo frowned.

"This is truly…oh, man …" he mumbled."Trowa, I'm in love with him!"

"I know…that's why I should have told you sooner…I feel terrible." Trowa whispered.Duo hugged him tighter.

"Not your fault, Tro-chan.It was hard enough for you to just_ see him again, let alone talk about what happened…but, what am I gonna do?" he asked, eyes watery.Trowa frowned._

"Stay away from him…at all costs." He replied."It may hurt, but it's for the best…"

Duo looked thoughtful.

"You're right…oh, man…Heero…" he whispered, tears tracking down his cheeks."I thought he loved me, Trowa…he sure acted that way…it was an act, though…wasn't it?"

Trowa nodded.

"I'm sorry, Duo…I'm very sorry." He said softly, and the two sat in each other's arms, silent.Catherine poked her head around the doorframe.

"Duo? Feel free to stay here if you like…I know you must be pretty upset right now." She offered.Duo managed a weak smile.

"Thankyou, Catherine…I think I'll take up your offer." He said, his voice lacking any strength.

# Heero…I still love you, regardless…

~ * ~

Wufei and Treize lay flat on their backs, staring up at the stars.They were in Treize's rose garden once again, getting some very much needed relaxation time in, before the attack on Heero.

But something was still troubling Treize.

"Dragon…" he said softly, his warm breath misting in the cool night air.Wufei looked at him.

"Yes?" he asked.Treize sighed, giving him a half-smile.

"Maybe we shouldn't kill Heero. He's on to us, my Dragon…he knows.And it was because of our carelessness that Noin died…who will be next? I couldn't bear to see another of our family die…" he whispered.Wufei frowned at him.

"Treize…this is not at all like you.One death and you become weak! Noin knew the risks, and her death will be avenged.We have to be strong to survive, and Heero must pay for his wrong-doings.We are going through with this, Treize…and if you can't handle it, then I shall do it alone." Wufei snapped.Treize turned hurt eyes to his beloved.

"Wufei…I'm scared of losing you," he confessed.Wufei's onyx eyes turned to Treize, shimmering with unshed tears.Treize moved to cup Wufei's face.

"Dragon, please…don't cry," he whispered.Wufei's cheeks flushed.

_How could I have let him see me near to tears?! He thought, before he dashed inside, ashamed to have been seen so weak._

Treize shivered in the chilly air.

"Something bad is going to happen…I just know it," he told the night sky.A star twinkled in response.

~ * ~

Heero opened up his laptop…he had new mail.

_H-_

Treize is crumbling…his 'Dragon' still stands strong.They should not pose a threat any longer…Wufei is not strong enough to take you on.We can proceed without a worry.

He smiled at the news.Having a spy working in Treize's 'family' was a definite benefit.Night fell, and Heero turned his laptop off, climbing into the bed he shared with Duo, preparing for sleep.

Now all I have to do is take my position…ready, aim, fire!…bye-bye Winner, hello money. He thought.But he couldn't help but think of Duo.He knew it was irrational, the mission was far more important than the braided angel of death…but Heero couldn't quite rid himself of the image of Duo's face.It had burned itself into his mind.

It angered Heero that he wasn't in control of his own emotions, that a mere male with a pretty face could distract him so.

That's not all, and you know it, Heero…you're falling in love with the baka, and you're scared. His inner voice chimed in.Heero scowled.

"Lies…Heero Yuy falls for no-one! He's a lone wolf…" he said to himself.He wondered if Trowa had told Duo about him yet, and decided it was for the best.He couldn't have any stronger emotional ties to Duo, in case things went wrong.

The mission comes first…always.

~ * ~

The next morning arrived, and Duo woke slowly from his place in the spare bed.Trowa had insisted that Duo sleep in the bed, while he took the couch.Duo had protested, saying that there was more than enough room for the two of them, but Trowa's eyes told Duo that it would make him uncomfortable.So Duo had relented, and complied.

He glanced at his watch, taking note of the fact that it was late morning.

I need to talk to Quatre…he thought, yawning broadly.He arose from the bed, scratching his chest as he made his way to the phone.Catherine was there, holding out a steaming mug of coffee, Trowa stretching languidly in the background.Duo admired him from afar.

He's so stretchy and agile…he thought, accepting the coffee from Catherine with a sleepy grin.

"Good morning, Duo." Both she and Trowa said in unison.Duo laughed.

"Good morning…uh, could I use your phone, Catherine? I need to ring Quatre…" he said.Catherine smiled sweetly.

"Sure!" she said cheerily, and Duo wished he was such a morning person.He dialed Quatre's mansion quickly, noticing Trowa staying out of sight, but well within earshot.

Oh man…I wish they'd just kiss and make up already…I guess it's not that easy. He thought, beaming when Quatre's sad face appeared.

"Hi Duo…" he mumbled, before glancing around."Trowa, I know you're there…please, come home to me…I love you, no matter what! Can't you understand? Whatever difficulties you're having, we can work out together!…please, Trowa.I'm exhausted.I haven't slept at all in days, and I can't stop thinking about you!…I love you…" he said, his bottom lip trembling, and tears threatening to spill.Duo saw Trowa move towards the screen, and stepped aside, letting the two lovers see each other for the first time in a day.Duo saw Quatre begin to sob, and reach out to touch the screen, as though he could touch Trowa's face.

"Trowa…oh, Trowa…I love you…I love you so much…" he sobbed.Trowa looked to be having an internal war with himself.Duo shook his head.

I shouldn't be eavesdropping like this! I'll go give Catherine a hand with breakfast…I'll talk to Quatre later.

~ * ~

Trowa saw the worn and weary face before him.

Is this my Quatre? Oh, Angel…what have I done to you? This is my fault, isn't it? he thought, as he took in the dark rings under Quatre's eyes, the paler skin and mussed hair.And of course, the near-hysterical tears.

"Trowa…oh, Trowa…I love you…I love you so much…" Quatre sobbed brokenly, touching the screen.

I've hurt him…I did this…Quatre…I'm sorry. He thought.He wanted desperately to be with Quatre again, to reach out and touch his cherubic face…to kiss his pouty lips…

But I'm no longer worthy…I did this to him, I don't deserve him…I don't…

"Trowa? Why won't you talk to me?!…Trowa!…please…you don't know how much I miss you…just come back, please…" Quatre begged, jerking Trowa from his thoughts.Trowa glanced once more at the one he loved, and felt something inside him break.

"Quatre…" he choked out, reaching to touch Quatre's hand on the screen.He felt those horrible tears begin flooding his vision, blurring the image of his angel.

"Trowa! Come home!" Quatre exclaimed, overjoyed to weasel a response from his uni-banged lover.Trowa started, snatching his hand back, and turning his gaze to the floor.

"I…can't.Not yet.Please understand, I need to work things out alone, then we can work things out between us." He said, leaving to find Duo.He found the braided one in the kitchen with his sister, and dragged him out to the phone.

"Talk." He said, before leaving again.

Soon, Quatre…I promise, we'll be together again.

~ * ~

Duo looked at the utterly depressed face of Quatre Raberba Winner.

"Oh, boy…that's it.we're gonna go out and have some fun together! I'm not taking no for an answer.I'll be there in a few." Duo said quickly.Quatre merely nodded in reply, and hung up.

Whoa…this is so not cool…he thought, grabbing his jacket and saying goodbye.

~ * ~

Heero waited impatiently for his spy to arrive, his muscles tensed with anticipation.He heard his laptop beep, signaling another email.He read it quickly.

H-

Maxwell spotted heading for Winner's estate again.Will send someone to keep an eye on him.Leaving now, will be there in approx. 15 mins.

Heero sighed.More waiting…

He was all prepared, his assassins were readying his equipment, and readying themselves for an ambush by the headstrong young Wufei Chang and his associates.He had his usual pre-mission jitters…but they weren't at all nervous.They were jitters of anticipation.

Heero loved his work.

~ * ~

Wufei was on his way to Noin's grave, when he collided with Zechs in the hallway, and shot him an angry glare.

"Oops! Wufei! Watch where you're going, alright?" the blonde man said.Wufei glared at him some more, before a thought crossed his mind.

"Any new info on Yuy? I want to lead the strike against him…Treize has backed out." He said, his voice cold. Zechs smiled.

"Thought you might.Heero is planning to strike while Winner and Maxwell are out walking…but we don't know when that will be…" he said.Wufei frowned.

"Well, see that Une keeps her info coming in.I want Heero's head on a platter." He snapped, before stalking off.Zechs grinned at Wufei's disappearing back.

~ * ~

Heero studied the Winner child's profile he had compiled, as he waited for his trusty spy.He leapt out of his seat when he heard a sharp knock.Opening the door a crack he saw the person he was waiting for.

Heero opened the door fully, exposing a dark-clothed person.

"Hello, Heero…." He said, removing the hooded cloak he was wearing.His long, platinum-blonde hair was shaken free, and his ice-blue eyes stared intensely at Heero, who extended his hand, holding the stare.

"Nice to see you again…Zechs."

End of Part Four

Well, I told you it would be crappy.But didja believe me?! Nope! 

Once again, I'm very sorry!!

…and I like Cid and Vincent.They are special friends.I like them as a couple.Cid is sexy.I like Cid.There! I said it, and I meant it, Smee-chan! Are you happy now?!

~ Wannon-chan ~

Ninmu Kanryu

~ Smeegee-chan ~


	6. Blood Money - 05

Fifth part, huh? Well this is certainly taking up more time than I wanted it to! I was bored, darn it…I wanted to write something quick and easy…but no! It had to turn into a series, didn't it?!

Damn you, fanfic!!

Fanfic: "No, damn you!"

Wannon: "Grrr…DAMN _YOU!! Damn you to HELL!!"_

Fanfic: "Nein…Omae o korosu!"

Wannon: "WAAGH!! CREEPY FANFIC!!"

Fanfic: "Heh, heh, heh…"

~ Wannon-chan ~

Blood Money – Part Five.

"Nice to see you again…Zechs." Heero said, the tone of his voice conveying nothing.Zechs accepted Heero's proffered hand, shaking it firmly.

"I could say the same…" Zechs replied, his voice nearing a sultry purr.Heero frowned.

"Not now.We have a mission to accomplish." He told the other man sternly.Zechs sighed.

"Fine.What do you want me to do?" he asked.Heero sat down, gesturing for Zechs to do the same.He turned his Prussian blue eyes to the ice-blue ones of Zechs, his gaze unwavering.

"I need you to get rid of Chang Wufei."

~ * ~

Duo decided to stop off at his apartment on the way to Quatre's estate.

_I just hope Heero's not there.If he is…I'll just pretend I know nothing.I can't handle any kind of confrontation right now…he thought, quietly walking up the stairs to his and Heero's apartment door.He heard muffled voices behind the door and, curiosity piqued, pressed his ear to the door._

_"…what do you want me to do?" a deep, almost raspy male voice queried.Duo frowned._

_He's got another man in there! Trowa was right…he thought dejectedly, before listening once more._

_"I need you to get rid of Chang Wufei." – Heero's voice this time._

_Chang Wufei?! Who's that?…and just what does he mean by 'get rid of'…? Come to think of it, he never did tell me what he did for a living…Duo thought.He decided to enter the apartment, and see who Heero was talking to._

# Just act like you know nothing…

He knocked on the door, then flung it open.

"Hee-chan!" he exclaimed, as he threw himself at the surprised youth.He landed in Heero's lap, and wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.Zechs cleared his throat loudly, and Duo feigned surprise at his presence.

"Oh! I'm sorry…I didn't see you there.You a friend of my Hee-chan's?" he asked casually, still reclining in Heero's lap.Zechs frowned.

"You could say that…" he muttered, frowning deeper when he saw the surprisingly warm smile Heero directed at the back of the braided boy's head, thinking nobody saw it.He then began to nuzzle at the chestnut hair, a look upon his face that Zechs had never seen before…a look of happiness.Duo grinned at Zechs.

"Well, I'm Duo! Nice to meetcha!…uh, what's your name?" he asked, ignoring Heero's affectionate behavior for the moment.Zechs continued to frown.

"Zechs.Zechs Merquise." He said, his voice clipped.Duo smiled sweetly at him, wriggling a little in Heero's lap, causing him to gasp quietly and nip at Duo's earlobe.The little tease turned to look at Heero, who stared back at him, eyes quickly beginning to glaze with lust.

"Not that I'm complaining, but aren't you supposed to be going for a walk with Quatre today?" Heero queried.Duo nodded, resisting the urge to kiss Heero, who was so very close to him.

"Yup.I stopped off here to say hi, and have a shower.Oh, and Trowa was a little upset yesterday…he and Quatre are still having problems.That's why I wasn't home last night, I stayed over to comfort him…sorry if I worried you, or anything." Duo said, his tone of voice hopeful.

"Hn." Heero replied, that familiar sexy, smoldering look appearing on his face.

# Uh-oh…you'd better retreat, Duo! You can't resist that! He told himself.He yawned deeply, and removed himself from Heero's lap.

"I'm gonna go have that shower now.Pleasure meeting you, Zechs…" he said.Heero got up and began to follow him, but Duo turned him away with a playful shove.

"You have a guest, Heero! Don't be rude!" he said with a grin, before flouncing to the shower.He left Heero and Zechs in a rather uncomfortable silence.

~ * ~

Heero felt a pang of disappointment as he watched Duo leave.

_Minx…he thought affectionately, before shaking his head and frowning at himself.He turned to look at Zechs, who was shooting him a death glare._

"…What?" Heero finally asked.Zechs stood up angrily.

"What do you mean, 'what'?" he exclaimed, walking forward and continuing to glare.

"Exactly that.What's your problem?" Heero replied coolly.Zechs sputtered, his face becoming an angry shade of red.

"What the hell was that? You're not supposed to let him…manipulate you like that!"

"…manipulate me? You think he's _manipulating me?! You have no idea about what kind of relationship Duo and I have, Merquise…" Heero snapped, his tone warning._

"Oh, so you have a _relationship now?! Heero, you're taking this whole 'boyfriend' act a little too seriously! What about me? What about us?!" he asked.Heero's eyes narrowed._

"There is no 'us'.There never was…or will be." He replied calmly."You were simply a way to amuse myself…a toy, of sorts.Duo…he's different.He wasn't at first, but there's something different about him…"

"What?! How could you possibly choose him over _me?!" Zechs exclaimed."Does he even know your occupation?!"_

Heero looked evasive, and Zechs smiled slyly.

"Uh-huh, that's what I thought…I can't wait to see how long he'll stick around once he finds out…" Zechs said with satisfaction.Heero glowered at him.

"Zechs.It's not your place to comment on my relationships…just do your job.Go now." He said smoothly, pointing to the now-open door.Zechs gave Heero one last glare before he left.

~ * ~

Duo heard the conversation end, and quickly dashed back to the bathroom, hopping into the already-running shower.Then he began to wait for Heero's imminent arrival.

_Trowa was right…he was using that Zechs guy as a toy…but why am I different? And what kinda business is he in anyway?! Maybe coming back here was a bad idea…he thought anxiously.Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Heero stepped inside, opening the shower door and grabbing hold of Duo's braid._

"Hee-chan?" Duo queried.Heero spun Duo to face him, and scowled.

"This shower has been running for ten minutes.Yet your hair is still in a braid, and mostly dry…which means you've just got in.What were you doing, Duo? Eavesdropping?" he asked suspiciously.Duo tried to look innocent, and failed miserably.He opted for the truth instead.

"I'm sorry…" he said.Heero looked angry, but Duo could see sadness behind it.

"Duo…you're a liability now." He informed him, uncharacteristically reaching out to touch the other's cheek.Duo flinched at the words.

"Heero…what are you saying? What did you mean about 'getting rid of Chang Wufei'? Who is he?" he asked boldly.Heero sighed, casting an appreciative glance at Duo's naked form.

"I don't think it's the right kind of place to be talking about it…finish your shower first.I'll be in the living room." He said, detaching his eyes and letting go of Duo's braid.He then left quickly.

# Shit…I'm in too deep, can't back out now…

~ * ~

Zechs stormed inside furiously, his angry expression causing members of his 'family' to give him concerned looks as he passed.Zechs had only one member of his blood relatives left, and that was his sister, Relena.A whiny little brat of a girl, and absolutely besotted with Heero.She was part of his assassins, but was only a deliverer of messages.She was part of the reason Zechs betrayed his 'family'.Heero had caught him whilst he was spying on him, and threatened not only his life, but the life of his sister, who recognised him.Zechs had complied, and soon after, he and Heero had their 'fling'.

Zechs began to think of his 'family'.They were really the only ones he'd ever known, he'd grown up with them all…they trusted, relied on and respected him, yet he betrayed them.He betrayed them only to find he was being betrayed himself.

# How ironic…he thought snidely.I'll never be able to right my wrongs now…but maybe I can start doing the right thing…

Zechs immediately sought out Treize and Wufei.

The Chinese youth was training hard, while Treize busied himself with his roses, occasionally casting an appreciative glance at his Dragon.Zechs cleared his throat loudly, catching their attention.

"…Yes?" Wufei asked.

"I need to talk to you…" he looked at Treize."…both of you." He finished.Wufei and Treize shared a look, then glanced at Zechs.

"Speak." Wufei commanded.Zechs took a deep breath before beginning.

"I am…a traitor…"

~ * ~

Heero waited impatiently for Duo to get out of the shower.He was having an internal debate with himself.

_You're being irrational again, Yuy.Maxwell knows too much already! You should dispose of him…but you can't can you? Because you're weak! His inner voice said.Heero snarled at it._

_I'm not weak! And I'll prove it…he told himself.He went into his and Duo's room, removing a box from under their bed.He opened it to find a loaded pistol, which he took out with a grin.He then returned to the living room, watching and waiting for Duo._

_It'll be so easy…just aim and fire… he thought.He heard a door open, and saw tendrils of steam advancing into the living room, with Duo amongst it.Heero was ready for him.He stood up abruptly, his gun leveled at Duo's chest._

"Omae o korosu…" Heero said softly, his eyes hard.Duo's jaw dropped, and the towel he was using to dry his hair fell from his hand to land almost silently on the floor.

"H-Heero?" he asked in a soft whisper.

Violet eyes met Prussian blue, and Heero felt himself weakening.

"Omae o korosu!" he said firmly, as if trying to persuade himself to do it.Duo's eyes quickly filled with tears, which began a slow journey down his face.He squeezed his eyes shut, sending more tears cascading down.

"Only because it's you, Heero…" he whispered.

"What?" Heero asked, clearly puzzled.

"I'll make it easy for you…I won't struggle.I don't mind dying, but only because it's you that will kill me…" he said, eyes still closed.Heero's eyebrows rose.

"Why…?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.He let the hand holding the gun drop to his side for the moment.

"Because I love you, Heero.And what disgusts me is that I didn't love you any less when Trowa told me what you did to him…" Duo blurted.Heero rose the gun back up to point it at Duo's heart.

# Trowa told him…he knows! He can't live now…He thought.Duo opened his eyes again, looking at him blankly.

"Do it, Heero…" He mumbled.Heero cocked the pistol, readying it to be fired, and re-aimed, his hands began trembling slightly.

"DO IT!" Duo yelled, and Heero squeezed his eyes shut, pulling the trigger at the same time.He heard a gasp, and slowly opened his eyes.

Duo was alive…not even a scratch.

The same couldn't be said for his towel, however.A bullet hole now disfigured it, the misshapen bullet now lay embedded in the floor.

Duo fell to his knees, and Heero let the gun drop to the floor with a clatter.He backed away, collapsing onto the couch.

"Heero…" Duo gasped, wiping tears away."You…you didn't kill me…"

Heero frowned.

_Mission failed…he thought.But when he looked into the relieved eyes of Duo Maxwell, he wasn't so sure._

_Maybe…mission accomplished? He wondered.As soon as he'd thought that, Duo was on his feet and stampeding towards him._

"Heero!" he exclaimed, as he climbed into his lap."I love you…" he whispered softly, and Heero felt a strange flutter in his chest.

_Do I love Duo?…I don't know…but I certainly feel differently about him, compared to everyone else I've ever known…he thought, kissing Duo deeply._

"You won't love me once you hear my story…" he said, once the kiss had been broken. Duo frowned.

"Tell me…" he prompted, and Heero looked away, too ashamed to look him in the eyes.

"I'm…the ringleader of the biggest group of assassins there is…but we're really short on money, business hasn't exactly been great lately.So we needed to find an easy source of money…we found Quatre Winner.I decided to find out who was the closest friend of his…and I found you.Even luckier, you happened to be in his will…so we decided that I would pretend to be interested in you, and find some way to knock off Winner.Once that was done, I would have easy access to the money you would be given from his will…therefore re-establishing my assassins" he said truthfully.Duo glared.

"You _pretended to be interested in me?!" he exclaimed.Heero snorted._

"At first…but now I'm not too sure…" he admitted.Duo grinned, but soon that expression was replaced with a deep frown.

"You're going to kill Quatre?!" he snarled.Heero nodded.

"Yes.And you, my 'love', are going to help me…"

~ * ~

"Traitor?!" Wufei exclaimed, taking a menacing step towards Zechs.

"…Yes.I've been working for Heero, to keep my sister safe.But I've come to realise that my loyalties should…do lie with you.I'm going to help you kill Heero…If you'll trust me…" he said slowly.Wufei sneered.

"Why should we? For all we know, this could be a trap!…we should kill you right here, right now." He said angrily.Zechs began to look nervous, shooting Treize a speculative glance.The aristocratic-looking man seemed brooding, unsure.

"Dragon, no…" he said suddenly, and Wufei re-sheathed the dagger he had been drawing.

_I need to watch him…he's very fast…Zechs thought._

"Why?! Are you going to trust him, knowing he betrayed us?!" Wufei snapped.Treize looked thoughtful.

"I want to find out a little bit more…Zechs, will you answer my questions? I can assure you our methods of making you talk will not be pleasant…"

"Of course…I'll tell you anything you want to know." Zechs answered honestly.

"If you've been working for Heero, then why didn't Une tell us she saw you with him?" Treize asked.Zechs hung his head.

"Une has been dead for months now…I was responsible for her death.I'm so sorry…she was a dear friend." He said sadly.Wufei bristled.

"You know, you aren't making yourself look any better, Merquise! I'll bet you killed Noin, too!" he accused.Zechs looked shocked.

"No! I didn't, I swear…I loved her like a sister…she was very special to me.I wasn't aware that she had been so careless, and those tears I cried for her were real!" he protested.Treize nodded.

"And what can you say to make us believe you are telling the truth? How can we trust you?" he queried.Zechs frowned.

"I was sent back here for another reason…to kill Wufei.Heero thinks I'm actually going to do it, but I'm not going to…I wouldn't have drawn attention to myself…you know that." He said.

"True…well I, for one, am going to trust you.And I will take part in the mission now…but as backup.Wufei…we don't have much to lose.I know I acted weak before, but now that Zechs has come clean, I feel stronger.We will go through with this, and if we die…so be it.We will die together." Treize said smoothly.Wufei still looked dubious, but Zechs knew that he would go along with it…he didn't have much of a choice.

"Let's start planning…" Wufei said.It was as close as he would come to agreeing…not that Zechs minded.

~ * ~

Quatre played with a strand of his hair, waiting for Duo to arrive.

_Where is he? I'm so lonely…he thought.He hated being alone and bored like this.It got him thinking of Trowa…_

He sniffled a little, and moved to retrieve his violin from its case, looking at it lovingly.

_Trowa gave this to me on our anniversary…he thought, beginning to play.The long, sad notes floated around the room, flooding it with raw emotion.Tears fell from Quatre's closed eyes, tracking unnoticed down porcelain cheeks.He let out all his pain into the music, creating a bittersweet melody.He didn't even notice the phone ringing._

# I wish Trowa was here…

~ * ~

Trowa frowned at the screen.

_Why won't he answer? I hope nothing's happened to him! He thought anxiously.He had decided to try and work things out with Quatre, but there was no answer.He was so worried, the fact that Duo and he ware scheduled to go out didn't come into it at all.Trowa frowned, grabbed his sister's car keys and rushed out the door._

~ * ~

"Help you?! You want me to help you kill my _best friend?! I can't believe this! No, Heero.No.I won't do it!" Duo yelled.Heero raised an eyebrow._

"I don't think you have much of a choice…" he began."You have to choose between me, or Winner.If you choose Winner, you'll most likely die…by my hand." He said matter-of-factly.Duo frowned.

"You want me to choose you? Does that mean you love me, too?" he asked hopefully.Heero shook his head.

"No.I have no idea what love is.But I don't hate you, if it's any consolation…" he said.

"If you don't hate me, then why are you doing this?!" Duo snapped.

"Because if Quatre doesn't die…you will.I can't have you out there, knowing as much about me as you do…it's a major security risk." Heero said.Duo chewed that thought over.

"I understand…but I don't like it.I've known Quatre since we were kids!" he said.Heero kissed his temple.

"If you want to be with me…you'll have to make sacrifices.They may not be nice, but they have to be done." He said softly.

"Damn you, Heero…why does it have to be like this?!"" he wailed, frustrated.Heero wrapped his hand around some of Duo's silky hair, pulling him in close.

"You'll get used to it…I did." He said."Will you cooperate, or do I have to try and kill you again?" 

Duo sighed, his eyes tearing up.

"I'll cooperate.But I'll never forgive myself…" he whispered.Heero kissed him deeply.

"Blame it on me.I'll take your burdens.One more can't possibly hurt." Heero offered.

_Yuy…you have never been this open before…whatever happened to 'Hn'? the inner voice asked.Heero silenced it angrily._

"Go now, Duo.Take Quatre out for his walk.Take him to the park, it should be empty this time of day.And remember…not a word to Winner.You tell him and it's all over, you die.Got it?" he asked.Duo nodded glumly, braiding his hair quickly, and kissing Heero goodbye.

"I still love you, Heero…" he whispered in his ear.Heero muttered a soft 'baka' in reply, before Duo began to leave.

"See you soon, Hee-chan…" he said dejectedly, his face the perfect picture of misery.He left then, and Heero left five minutes after, heading for the park.That would be the setting for Winner's demise.

End of Part Five.

Finished! Okay, I can most _definitely promise that the next part is where __everything will happen, cos I've already begun writing it…it's just not finished yet.I'll get there soon, I promise.All the action lovers should be happy.Maybe._

And a few warnings for the next chapter:

DEATH!!!!! DEAAATTTHHHH! ::snigger::

No really…there'll be much death and destruction…hopefully sap, too.Me no know.

I hope you like the last chapter.It might end abruptly, but there should be an epilogue, so yay for that.

It's been incredibly draining for me…damn fanfics control my entire life…but enough about me.

~ Wannon-chan ~ is done ranting.


	7. Blood Money - 06

Here's the 'action part'.Yes, finally, it has arrived!

Praise the lord!!…if you want to.If not, then praise me!! ::grins::

Hope you all enjoy this…I enjoyed writing it.::evil grin::

WARNING: DEATH! DEAAATTTHHHH! (of major characters) 

Yes, that's right.There is much death.MUCH DEATH!! 

You know…most people look at me and think I'm evil.They're right.I am.Right Smee?

Anyway, this might be the last part.I dunno yet…

~ Wannon-chan ~

Blood Money Part Six.

Quatre had emotionally exhausted himself, and placed the violin away.He went into the kitchen, finding the fridge and cupboards bare, and realised that Rashid had gone shopping that morning.So Quatre had to suffer with a glass of tap water.

_I wonder when Duo will get here? He pondered. The doorbell interrupted his thoughts, and the angelic blonde jumped, startled.He rushed to answer the door, feeling a little happier._

He opened the door, revealing Duo Maxwell.

"Hi Duo!" Quatre chirped, his usual sweet smile in place.Duo smiled back, but Quatre couldn't help but notice it was forced.

"Hey Quatre.Ready to go? I thought we could go for a walk in the park." He said.Quatre nodded.

"That sounds wonderful, Duo.I just need to leave a note for Rashid, and I'll be right with you, okay?" he asked.Duo nodded glumly, and Quatre made a mental note to ask him what was wrong.He spun on his heel and rushed to the notepad on the kitchen wall, scribbling down a quick note, before bounding back to the front door, where Duo still stood.He flashed the braided boy his most beautiful smile, but it only seemed to make him more upset.

"Let's go, Duo…we could take a limo…oh, no…we can't, the driver's wife is having her baby…" he babbled, trying to cheer up his long-time friend.Duo clapped his hand gently over Quatre's mouth, effectively silencing him.

"…We could take my motorbike…" he said, eyes twinkling with the usual Maxwell mischief.Quatre gulped.

"O-okay…" he said slowly, and Duo burst into maniacal laughter, practically dragging Quatre to the sleek, black machine.

"Hop on…and hold on tight…" he said smoothly, as he and Quatre donned helmets and got on the bike.Quatre had a sudden flashback of the last time he rode with Duo, and paled considerably.He wrapped his arms tightly around Duo waist, burying his face in his back.Duo started the bike up, and Quatre squeezed his eyes shut.He felt Duo laugh, the beautiful sound vibrating through Quatre's head.

"Scared, Q-buddy? You should be…" Duo's voice floated to his ears.Quatre nodded, and Duo laughed again.

"Don't worry…we'll be there in no time on this baby!" he said gleefully.

_That's what I'm afraid of!…well, at least he's cheered up a little…Quatre thought.Duo chose that moment to speed off, and Quatre yelled in fright._

"DUUUOOO!!"

~ * ~

Trowa hopped into Catherine's car, and began the short drive to Quatre's estate.He arrived in no time, and walked quickly to the front door, knocking loudly.

No answer.

Trowa tested the handle…it was locked.Pulling his key from his pocket, he opened the door and peered in.

_Where is everyone? He wondered.He remembered the little notepad he used to leave messages on, and decided to check it.Sure enough, he found a note._

_Rashid,_

_Have gone to the park with Duo…will be back later._

_Quatre._

Trowa smiled.

_The park? Well…that's where I'm headed._

~ * ~

Heero hid behind a tree in the deserted park, watching and listening for Duo and Quatre's arrival.He was a lone gunman, although he did have backup nearby.His heart began to race when he heard a motorbike approaching.

_At last…let the games begin!_

~ * ~

Zechs, Wufei and Treize had successfully tracked down Heero's assassins. They were monitoring him from a remote spot, which they hoped was close to where they would find Heero.Sneaking around the van, they flung open the back doors and leapt inside, incapacitating all who opposed them.

Within a few minutes, the busted-up van was filled with unconscious people.

"Where's Heero?" Wufei hissed.Zechs shrugged.

"He should be nearby, I guess…" he whispered back.Treize nodded.

"Tree-climbing.Let's go." He said.They climbed the nearest trees, scanning the area cautiously.Wufei pulled back a branch, and saw a familiar mop of hair in the distance, behind a tree.Wufei leapt down from his tree, and quickly scrambled up Treize's.

"I've spotted him…" he began, pulling back a branch and pointing."See, he's right-" Wufei stopped abruptly, seeing Heero take aim at something.

"Move, quickly.He can't be allowed to go through with this." Treize whispered anxiously.Wufei nodded, signaling to Zechs, who was peering through the branches of a nearby tree.Together, the climbed down and began to creep forward.Treize could see flashes of blonde, then ebony, and his brow creased with worry.

# It starts…

~ * ~

Duo helped a shaken Quatre off his bike, his heart sinking.

_So this is it…I'm really gonna condemn my best friend to death…he thought, glancing at Quatre.The blonde was looking around with a smile on his face, before he turned to Duo._

"Beautiful…" he commented.Duo nodded, moving closer to Quatre, embracing him and kissing him softly on the cheek.Quatre blushed prettily.

"What was that for?" he asked quietly.

"Because I'm glad you're my friend, and you're happy…you're my best bud, Quatre…you mean so much to me." he said softly, noticing movement beside him, and knew Heero was taking aim.

"You mean a lot to me, too…" Quatre said, his voice barely above a whisper.Duo smiled, but inside he was crumbling.

_I can't do this…I can't do this! He thought.He moved quickly, leaping at Quatre and using his entire body weight to shove him out of range, just as the shot rang out.The next moments felt like an eternity, passing by in slow motion.Duo felt a sharp, burning pain as the bullet thudded into his chest, piercing right through to his left lung.His agonized scream rang through the park, before he landed hard on the white-pebbled path._

"Duo!" he heard Quatre scream from somewhere near him.Duo tried to breathe, and winced at the unbearable pain.

_Heero…he thought, before darkness claimed him._

~ * ~

Heero dropped the sniper rifle in shock.

"Baka!" he cried, trying to resist the irrepressible urge to run to Duo's side.

_Screw it…the mission failed.I'm as good as dead now anyway…he thought, standing up and moving from behind the tree, breaking into a quick jog to stand beside Duo.Quatre was already there, kneeling beside his fallen friend, sobbing loudly.He looked up upon hearing approaching footsteps, and his tear-filled eyes narrowed dangerously._

"Heero?! It was you, wasn't it?! You did this!…how could you?!" he snarled.His angered face softened upon seeing the remorseful look on Heero's face.

"I…this wasn't supposed to happen, Winner.You were the target…this wasn't supposed to happen!" he cried, kneeling beside Duo.Quatre backed away from him, afraid of what he might do.But Heero paid no heed to Quatre, instead he touched Duo's cheek with gentle hands, staring at the gaping hole in his chest.

_He's lung-shot…Duo…I'm sorry…he thought.He saw the chest rising and falling slowly, and slapped Duo's face sharply, hoping to revive him._

"Come on, Duo! I know you're alive…wake up!" he said desperately.He heard Quatre gasp from behind him and turned to see Zechs and another…Chang Wufei.

"Traitor…" he hissed at Zechs.The blonde smiled.

"Surprise." He said coolly, as Wufei's eyes widened upon seeing the body on the ground.

"Wait a second…that's not Winner…" he began, before glancing at Quatre."You're Quatre, aren't you?" he queried.The frightened blonde nodded.Wufei then turned his attention to Heero and the body.

"Who is that?! What have you done, Yuy?" he exclaimed, walking forward to examine the body.Heero snarled at him.

"Stay away from him!" he warned.Zechs laughed.

"That's Maxwell, Wufei…Yuy just killed his lover." He said, his voice conveying merriment at the situation.This enraged Heero, and he pushed roughly off Duo's chest, lunging at Zechs.He didn't see Duo's eyes snap open, or the knife that entered his body.

~ * ~

## Floating…

Duo felt like his entire body was dismembered, and floating in the dark, inky blackness which surrounded him.

_"Heero? Where are you?" he called, the darkness absorbing his voice, making it sound like a whisper.All he got in reply was a faint echo._

_Heero…he thought.A light appeared in the corner of the darkness, and Duo floated to it, like a moth drawn to a flame.Upon closer inspection, he found it to be a large screen.It was playing back memories of his past._

His childhood…

His friends, Quatre and Trowa…

But mostly, of Heero…

There were nice memories;

Heero, scowling at him while he laughed uproariously at his own joke.

Both of them curled up together, Heero smiling in his sleep, thinking Duo couldn't see it.

He and Heero making love, whispering endearments.

Then the nice turned to bad…

Heero, telling him it meant nothing, that he was pretending to love him.

Heero, pointing a gun at him.

Heero, shooting him, wounding him…killing him?

The montage of memories proved too much for Duo, and he began to sob quietly.

_I'm dead, aren't I? Heero killed me…he thought.A sudden, sharp burst of pain in his chest made him gasp, and he saw the blackness disappear.He rushed back into consciousness, his beautiful violet eyes opening to see Heero lunge at Zechs, then yell in pain.He saw Heero slump forward, then fall to the ground beside him._

"Hee-" Duo tried to say, but began to cough up blood.Heero's head turned to look at him.

Duo…you're alive…" he gasped, clutching a hand to his chest, blood bubbling up from between his fingers.

"Love…you…" Duo managed to squeeze out, before he began to cough again.He saw Heero's eyes tear up, and knew what was coming next.He reached out for Heero's other hand, and he took it, squeezing it gently.Duo looked lovingly at Heero, as he felt his own life slowly ebbing away.

"I…love you too, Duo Maxwell…" Heero choked out, and Duo smiled, his eyes closing. He gave himself up to the darkness once more, knowing he wouldn't return.

~ * ~

Trowa arrived at the park, noticing Duo's motorbike with a smile.But the smile dropped immediately once he exited the car.He could hear loud, heart-wrenching sobs coming from somewhere up the path.

_That's Quatre! Duo better not have upset him…he thought angrily, and walked quickly to where the sound was coming from.He wasn't expecting the sight that greeted him._

Two strangers, standing silently in front of him.The shorter, dark-haired one, was looking at him, his eyes sad.The other, a tall blonde, glared hatefully at him, his mouth twisted into a sadistic smile.Below them was the source of the sobbing.Quatre was on his knees, coated with blood.He was slumped over a body…Duo's body.

_Oh my lord…Trowa thought, his heart wrenching painfully.He began to walk forward, but stopped when he saw the second body._

Heero Yuy.

He was lying beside Duo, one hand clasping Duo's, the other clutching a wound in his chest. He was still alive, but fading quickly from what Trowa could see.

_Too much blood loss…he thought, frowning at a trickle of clear liquid on Heero's cheek.A tear._

# Yuy is crying? …Did he actually love Duo? And what the hell is going on here?!

He walked to Quatre's side, startling him.The blonde turned his bloody, tear-streaked face up to look at him.

"Trowa…?" he said shakily.Trowa knelt next to him, and gathered him into his embrace, letting his shaken-up lover cry on his shoulder.

"…Barton…" he heard over Quatre's loud, harsh sobs.He looked over at Heero, who was beginning to cry slowly…silently.The tears tracked down his cheeks, dripping onto the white pebbles below.

"Yuy…" he said softly.Heero squeezed his eyes shut briefly.

"I'm sorry…for everything…" he whispered, reaching out his blood-coated hand to Trowa.He took it, holding it tightly.

"I loved you, you know…" he told the dying youth.Heero nodded.

"I knew…and I was scared.Please, forgive me…" he begged, a dark trickle of blood running from his mouth.Trowa felt tears slip down his cheeks, and he squeezed Heero's hand.

"I forgive you…rest well, Heero." He said, and Heero's hand fell limp, slipping from Trowa's to hit the path. His cobalt blue eyes stared blankly into Trowa's emerald ones.The tall boy shuddered, and buried his face in Quatre's hair.He sensed movement beside him and quickly glanced up to see the Asian youth closing Heero's eyes.

"Who are you?" Trowa asked.The dark-haired boy shook his head.

"I cannot tell you.Please, leave…" he said softly.Trowa opened his mouth to protest when a voice came from above.

"Dragon.Let them be."

A man dropped down from a tree, landing gracefully before them.He glared at the tall blonde.

"He was unarmed, Merquise…you killed him in a fit of jealousy.He died dishonorably…" he said.'Merquise' hung his head, and the new arrival looked at Trowa.

"And who might you be?" he asked.Trowa frowned.

"I'm Trowa Barton…" he replied.The man raised a forked eyebrow.

"Winner has a boyfriend? I was unaware…" he said smoothly, smiling at Quatre, who buried his face deeper into Trowa's chest."Come with us, we have much to discuss…"

Trowa clutched Quatre tighter.

"No…" he said.The newcomer looked amused.

"Fear not…we won't hurt you." He said truthfully.Quatre looked up at Trowa.

"Let's go, Trowa…I have questions." He said quietly.Trowa sighed.

_My poor angel, having to see all of this…he thought, but looked back at the handsome man before them._

"Alright." He said."We'll come with you."

### End of Part Six

::sniffle:: ::sob:: 

I'm sorry, but that part always makes me sad…DUO! HEERO! NOOOO!

Stupid evil muses…

I have two of them…Devil Duo and Angel Quatre.But don't let the whole 'Angel' thing fool you…he's evil, and a hentai! Devil Duo is pretty good…sometimes.

But mostly they dance in conga lines singing; 'We are evil muses…we are evil muses…'

And making me think hentai things about the photography darkroom in my school!!

Bad Angel Quatre! Bad Devil Duo! ::giggle::

Angel Quatre: "But…but…ah…"

Devil Duo: "Heh-heh…"

AQ: "I'm not a hentai! I'm not!"

Wannon: "Yeah, right…"

DD: "Heh…yeah, you're one of the biggest hentais I know, Q-chan…"

AQ: "You're lying! I don't like you!"

DD: ::lecherous grin:: "That's not what you said last night…"

Wannon: "2x4! 2x4! PLANK OF WOOD!! YEAH, BABY, YEAH!!"

AQ: ::blush::

DD: ::raises eyebrows suggestively::

~ Clown Trowa enters ~

CT: "…Quatre, I thought…"

~ Assassin Heero enters too ~

AH: "Duo…omae o korosu…"

~ Dragon Wufei enters ~

DW: "ROOOAAAAR" ::blows fire::

Everyone: "WAAGH!!"

~ Everyone leaves ~

Sorry…next chapter will just be rounding off the whole thing…questions will be answered, apologies will be made, and Trowa and Quatre will say goodbye to those they once loved.BRING ON THE REVIEWS! I wanna see you people respond!

Did you like it? well…let me know.

Did you hate it? well…let me know what I could have done to make it better.

Were you indifferent? Well…just say something anyway!! Please? I'll love you forever!

~ Wannon-chan ~


	8. Blood Money - 07

**Hello you!**

**This be the end of this darn thing…or so I hope.Can ya tell I write the authors notes before the actual story?! ::giggle::**

**Well…thanks to all of you who have supported me through all this hunka junk..It means a lot to me, ya know? If I hadn't received much support and stuff, I mighta just stopped altogether! So muchas gracias, mi amigas/amigos! Hope you enjoy the (hopefully) last part! Oh, and if the mood takes me…there may be a lemon.::grins::**

**~ Wannon-chan ~ **

** **

Blood Money Part Seven.

"Alright.We'll come with you." Trowa said to the three figures before him.

The ginger-haired man nodded to the small Asian and the tall blonde, and they both moved forward, picking up the cooling bodies and slinging them over their shoulders.Trowa helped Quatre to his feet, he was badly shaken and needed to be helped along, too weak to stay upright.They walked in slow procession to a large van, entering the back, where there were cushions and seats everywhere.Heero and Duo's bodies were placed gently down on the floor, and covered with blankets, at Quatre's request.

"It's too horrible…" he whispered into Trowa's ear.Trowa merely nodded in reply, and held Quatre closer to him.They rode in silence, Quatre noticed the slight Asian youth sending them sad looks from where he was sitting, cuddled up to his obvious lover.The blonde man was sending them rather strange glances, and Quatre felt himself picturing a love triangle.

_This is no time for such trivial thoughts…your best friend just died! His inner voice told him, and Quatre found himself in tears again, sobbing into Trowa, who looked unsteady, too._

The feel of the van coming to an abrupt halt made Quatre retreat from Trowa's chest, glancing around with his blurred, red eyes.

"Are we there?" he asked the Asian boy.He shook his head, onyx eyes puzzled.

"No…something's wrong.Zechs? What's going on?" he asked the tall blonde, who was driving.He frowned.

"We hit a deer…" he said.The ginger-haired man laughed.

"We? You mean _you hit a deer, right?" he said.Zechs blushed._

"Uh…yes." He replied."Hang on, I'll go see if it's okay…"

As Zechs left the van, Quatre realised something.

"I don't even know you…what are your names, what do you do…why are we going with you?" he asked, genuinely confused.The ginger-haired man smiled.

"My name is Treize Khushrenada.I am the leader of a family of ninjas, and am one myself.This handsome young man beside me is my lover, Chang Wufei, and the blonde deer-killer out there is Zechs Merquise…er, I mean…Milliardo Peacecraft." He explained.Wufei blushed, and elbowed Treize.

"Did you have to?" he hissed.Treize laughed.

"Dragon, I hardly think they're in the position to judge our sexuality, am I right, gentlemen?" he said smugly, raising his sexy eyebrows.Trowa cracked a small smile despite it all.

"You would be correct." He said, and Treize smiled, giving Wufei a look.

"We are…were Heero's competition.But I have decided to discontinue this assassin business…I want to just live in peace, with my elegant Dragon at my side…" Treize said dreamily, and Wufei blushed further, hiding his face in Treize's shirt.

"You're coming with us, because I have something I wish to show you, and some things I would like to discuss.Of course, you will need a clear mind, so you will be given a room, and food…I feel guilty about this whole thing.We could have gotten there sooner, and stopped this…" Treize said, his face creased with guilt.Quatre shook his head.

"Don't blame yourself…what's done is done." He said.Treize nodded.

"You are right, Master Winner.But I still wish for you to come with us.I swear you will come to no harm." He said.Quatre smiled politely, and nodded.

"I am quite sure of your good will towards us.We accept.Thankyou…" he said, and snuggled in to Trowa.Zechs chose that moment to reappear.

"Uh…the deer's fine.I just missed it…it's long gone." He said.Treize nodded.

"Would you like me to take over for a while?" he asked, gesturing towards the driver's seat.Zechs smiled, and pointed to Wufei.

"I don't think you can.You'll wake sleeping beauty…" he said.Treize pressed a soft kiss to Wufei's temple, and sighed.

"You are right.Sorry…" he said, and Zechs shrugged, continuing their journey.Quatre fell asleep soon after, and was awoken by Trowa about an hour later.

"Angel…wake up." He said softly.Quatre yawned, stretching languidly.He blinked a couple of times and glanced around.

"Eep!" he exclaimed, upon seeing the large group of intrigued faces peering in through the windows of the van, and the open door. 

"Trowa! How long have they been there?!" he asked.Trowa smiled.

"About half an hour…" he said."I didn't want to wake you up, but they insisted." He said.Quatre nodded.

"Oh.Shall we go? These people make me nervous…" he said.Trowa nodded, and helped Quatre up, noting the puzzled glance at the floor, where Heero and Duo's bodies had once lain.

"They're being prepared for burial." Trowa said, and Quatre's eyes widened.

"Burial?! Where?" he asked.Trowa placed a hand over his mouth.

"Come with me…I've been on the tour.Now it's your turn." He said smugly.He led Quatre out of the van, smiling softly to himself as he watched his beloved's beautiful tourmaline eyes take in the lush forest around them.

"Wow…" Quatre breathed.

"This is nothing.Just wait and see…" Trowa whispered.They made their way into the house, and out through the back door, to an immense rose garden.Quatre's senses were overloaded.

The beautiful smells of the roses mingled together, creating a unique perfume, while their stunning beauty and colour took Quatre's breath away.They saw Treize and Wufei sitting together on a stone bench, and Quatre rushed to them.

"Treize…" he said.The aristocratic-looking man glanced up at him with a smile.

"Master Winner…do you like what you see?" he asked.Quatre nodded.

"This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen…did you create this, Treize?" he asked, breathless.

"Yes.It's my pride and joy, my place of respite…" he said. Wufei nodded.

"We come here to get away from it all…it's our haven from the madness of the outside world." He said softly.Quatre felt Trowa wrap his arms around his waist from behind, and nuzzle at his ear.

"They wish for Duo and Heero to be buried here…there is a graveyard further down." he said.Quatre's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Really? You would do that for us?" he asked.Treize nodded.

"Yes, but it is for our benefit too…" he said."Please, the funeral will be held for them tomorrow…until then, you are our guests.Make yourselves at home, and feel free to ask for anything at all…"

"That is most kind of you…if I may be excused? I really need to take a bath…" Quatre said quietly, gesturing to his bloody clothing.Treize nodded.

"Of course.There are robes in your room for you, but I'm afraid you will have to borrow some of Wufei's clothes…" he said.Wufei nodded.

"I have left some in your room…I'm sure they will fit." He said.Quatre nodded.

"Thankyou, Wufei, Treize.I'll see you later…" he said, and Trowa took him to their room.It was then that Quatre actually got a good look at Trowa.He was dressed the same as Wufei…white silk pants, and a dark tank top.Quatre smiled.

"Cute." He commented.Trowa laughed a little, and divulged Quatre of his shirt.The blonde shivered at his lover's touch.

"I'm glad you came back to me, Trowa…I never really wanted you to leave me.I was just so frustrated that the man I love couldn't talk to me about everything…and I exploded.I'm sorry…" he said, and Trowa hugged him close, placing feather-soft kisses on his cheek, then covering the pouty pink lips with his own.

"I'm sorry, too…I love you, Quatre Raberba Winner.You're my heart…" he whispered once they broke the kiss.

"And you're my soul…" Quatre replied.They kissed again, feeling their body temperatures rise.Quatre looked at Trowa, a crystal-coloured tear pooling in his eye, and slowly trickling down his flushed cheek.Trowa kissed it away.

"Let's get you washed up…" he suggested, removing Quatre's pants as well.Quatre removed his boxers, and Trowa ran the bath for him, taking a long, appreciative glance at his beloved's naked form.

"You're absolutely beautiful…" he whispered, and Quatre blushed.

"Thankyou, Trowa…" he replied, and hopped into the bath.The hot water relaxed his muscles and he sighed.Trowa began to wash Quatre's hair, massaging his scalp gently.

"I still can't believe this has happened…Duo's gone, Trowa…gone forever…" he whispered.Trowa kissed his cheek, then began to rinse out the shampoo.

"I know…" was all he could manage.

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~ * ~

Quatre was stuck in a dream, unable to move, scream, or breathe.He simply floated there, watching Duo die over and over again.

_I should have saved him! It should have been me! He told himself, trying to change the dream.It wasn't working.Duo died, Quatre cried, then it began all over again, like some sort of sick game._

_ _

_NO! …Duo, I'm so sorry…stop… he pleaded, hoping that someone would hear, and set him free from this nightmare._

Suddenly, everything was black.

Quatre could hear footsteps approaching, loud and resonant.A shadow emerged from the blackness, barely visible except for the haunted eyes.A sudden flash of light made Quatre wince, and close his eyes.Upon opening them, he saw someone he thought he'd never see again, standing under a beam of unholy light.

"_Duo…" he said, his voice unable to rise above a whisper.The braided one smiled evilly at him, and walked closer.He backhanded Quatre sharply, sending Quatre to the ground._

"_Hello, Quatre." Duo said sharply.Quatre raised his face up to look at him, not surprised at the action._

"_Duo…" he said again.He received a swift kick to his ribs, and felt them crack.Duo kicked him over and over again repeating a sentence like a mantra._

"_It's all your fault…you deserve this!"_

Quatre closed his eyes, biting his lip until it bled.

"_I deserve this…I deserve it..." he kept repeating to himself, chanting it aloud._

"Quatre! Wake up!" a voice interjected, but Quatre ignored it.

"_My fault…all my fault…I deserve this…" he said.Suddenly Duo was shaking him roughly, and Quatre looked up at him._

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	9. Blood Money - Epilogue

I thought I had finished it, but it seems there are some people out there who don't agree.Something along the lines of 'you can't finish it there!' type thing…so here it is.The epilogue.Hope you like!!

~ Wannon-chan ~

Blood Money – Epilogue.

# A year later…

Quatre entered the dojo, letting an appreciative smile appear as he watched the children train hard.They had such perfect faces of concentration, giving Wufei their complete, undivided attention as he led them through katas.The blonde saw Treize in the corner of his eye, and waved at the taller man, making his way over to him.

"Hello, Quatre.How goes life?" he asked.Quatre smiled.

"Very well, thankyou…Trowa is going to be a little late, I'm afraid.Duty calls…" he said apologetically.Treize dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"That's perfectly understandable.Teachers have to prioritize…" he said.Quatre nodded, and let his gaze sweep over the dojo once more.

"It's wonderful, Treize.All your hard work has certainly paid off…" he said with a smile.Treize grinned back.

"Thankyou.Of course, it wouldn't have happened without your financial support." He said.It was Quatre's turn to be dismissive.

"Not a problem…I'm just happy it worked out so well." He said pleasantly.Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a tall platinum blonde.

"Quatre! You've arrived!" Zechs cried, striding over to the two.Quatre smiled prettily at him.

"Yes…nice to see you again, Milliardo." He said civilly.A stampede of little footsteps began, and suddenly the dojo was empty, save Wufei and the three others.The Chinese youth grabbed a towel and wiped his face with it, beaming at the trio in the corner.

"Quatre…very good to see you again.How is Trowa?" he asked.Quatre beamed at him.

"He's-" he began.

"-Very well, thankyou for asking…" a new voice interrupted.All three spun around to see Trowa leaning on the doorframe, soft smile touching his lips.Quatre dashed over to him, tackling him with a fierce hug.

"Trowa!" he cried, and heard Treize and Wufei laugh.Trowa wrapped his strong arms around Quatre's waist, pulling him in closer.

"Hello, Little One…how was your day?" he murmured.Quatre smiled up at him.

"It was alright…you obviously had a bad day?" he asked.Trowa nodded, and placed a quick kiss to his Angel's forehead.

"Yes…but let's not talk about it now.We're being rather rude…" he said, indicating their hosts.Quatre blushed.

"Oh! How terribly impolite of me…" he said.Wufei, Zechs and Treize merely laughed and shook their heads.

"No need for apologies…" they all said in unison, which made everyone laugh.

~ * ~

Dinner was spent talking, remembering, enjoying each other's company.They shared stories, ate and drank.

They had cause for such things…after all…

Today was the anniversary of Heero and Duo's passing.

"I remember there was this one time that Duo and I went shopping…and he went around stealing all the heads off the mannequins!" Quatre said, and everyone laughed.Quatre nodded.

"Oh sure…it's funny now…but when you're being chased by hoards of fat security guys…it's not quite as funny." He said completely seriously.Everyone paused and looked at him, before laughing harder.Quatre sighed.

_May as well laugh, too…he thought, and joined in.Trowa stopped his laughing for a moment, and looked ready to say something._

"I remember, back when I was with Heero…he was a terrible sleep-talker.I once had a conversation with him while he was completely asleep…it was really strange…" he said.Quatre giggled.

"What were you talking about?" he asked.Trowa grinned.

"Ordering a pizza, actually…Heero woke me up with his ranting about anchovies…and it led into a full debate about the best pizza toppings…all done while he was asleep." 

Everyone began to laugh again.

~ * ~

Later on, everyone made their way out to the memorial rose garden, where Heero, Duo and Noin's bodies were buried.It was dark outside, but there was a full moon, spilling its light down upon the garden, highlighting their way.They carried lit candles, which gave off their own sphere of light.

Upon arriving at the tombstones, simply carved with their names and the dates of their birth and death, they placed the candles down before them and sat together, silent, reflecting.

Trowa stole a look at Quatre, and saw that the blonde's eyes were closed, tears sliding silently down his cheeks as he remembered his closest friend.The tears shone under the moonlight as they made their descent, making Trowa want to wipe them away.He felt ashamed that he hadn't been there to save his Angel.

_If I hadn't been so stupid…if I had never left his side…he thought.Quatre's eyes opened suddenly, and he turned his watery tourmaline eyes to Trowa's emerald green ones._

"Quit playing the blame game, Trowa…you told me to take my own advice, now it's time for you to take it…" he whispered."This night is supposed to be a special night, a night where we remember, and honor the memories of our friends…please don't spoil it by blaming yourself…"

Trowa ducked his head.

"I'm sorry…" he replied, and felt Quatre caress his cheek.

"Koi…just remember, okay?" he heard, before the hand was removed.Trowa closed his eyes, and vividly began to play back his memories of Duo and Heero.

_I miss you both…he thought._

_I miss you, Duo…I wish I could have known you, Heero…Quatre thought._

~ * ~

Wufei watched as Quatre and Trowa got caught up in memories, before glancing at Treize and Zechs, who were doing the same.He felt a pinprick of shame for being the only one not doing it.In all truth, he hadn't really known any of them, not even Noin.He only knew her by name, and hadn't even set eyes on her before she died.Duo and Heero he hadn't known either.He knew Heero by reputation only, and Duo…he only had a memory of him as he died, which wasn't anything pleasant to remember him by.

The terrible scenes of Duo and Heero's death flooded his mind, yet he felt so detached from it all, like he was looking at himself watching it.He felt no pain, no grief for them, and extreme guilt because of it.He saw Quatre's beautiful face twisted in an expression of anguish as he sobbed brokenly on the chest of his best friend, which had fallen still.He watched Heero's chest rise slowly and shakily, and saw him reach out towards the newcomer – Trowa.

Wufei felt himself drift into Heero's body, and felt a mixture of pain, anguish and undying love enter him.He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was looking through Heero's eyes, feeling what he felt, seeing what he saw.He could feel death approaching, and heard his voice speak, his thoughts process, his heart slow down.A tear trickled down his/Heero's cheek, and then blackness engulfed them both.

~ * ~

Treize heard an agonized gasp from beside him, and opened his eyes to see Wufei clutching his chest in pain.He reached out to his young lover, bringing him close, holding him.

When Wufei's eyes opened, they were foreign, distant.Not at all like the loving eyes Treize knew.

"We…we miss you all…Duo misses you, Quatre, Trowa…he loves you…" he said in a whisper.Treize looked puzzled.

"Wufei?" he asked softly.The Chinese youth shook his head.

"It's Heero and Duo…we're borrowing Wufei for a little while." The voice said.Quatre and Trowa scrambled over to Wufei's side, while Zechs watched from afar.

"Duo, Heero…" Quatre whispered.Wufei's head turned to face him, and his hand reached out to caress his cheek.

"Hey Q-chan…" Wufei's voice said in a soft whisper.Quatre began to cry, clinging to Wufei, whose body clung back.

"I'm sorry, Duo…" he sobbed.

"Quatre…I was going to betray you.I was going to help take your life in order to ensure mine was safe…it's me who should be sorry…" he admitted.Quatre gasped.

"You…were? Heero made you do it?" he asked.Wufei/Duo nodded.

"Yeah.I loved him…still do, Q-man.I did it because he was gonna go through with it regardless of whether he had my support or not.I chose life, but in the process, I condemned you to death…I can't ask you to forgive me…I just want you to know that I really couldn't go through with it…which is why I leapt in front of you.I realised that I couldn't live with myself had I let you die…"

"Duo…it's been a year.I forgave you a long time ago…Trowa and I had a hunch that you were working for Heero…" Quatre admitted.Wufei/Duo pressed his lips to Quatre's.

"I love you, Quatre Raberba Winner…" he whispered, tears tracking down his borrowed face.Quatre brushed them away.

"And I you, Duo Maxwell…" he replied, voice thick with unreleased emotion.Wufei/Duo nodded, a soft smile appearing.

"We have to go…goodbye." He said quietly, and Wufei's eyes closed.Quatre sought comfort in Trowa's arms, and the uni-banged boy held him tightly, not caring about the kiss, or the words…all he cared about was his Angel.

"Feel better, Little One?" he whispered, and Quatre looked up at him.He nodded and sighed.

"Yes…but I'd like to go to bed now, if you all don't mind.I'm exhausted…" he admitted.Wufei moaned softly as he came around, and Quatre stroked his hair.

"Poor Wufei.That must have been a strange experience for you…" he said softly.The Asian youth smiled softly at Quatre.

"I could see everything from a distance…it was scary, yet strangely fascinating…" he said with a yawn.Treize scooped him up into his arms, and stood, throwing a look towards Zechs.

"We're off to bed.Quatre's not the only one here who's exhausted…" he said, looking at the bundle he was holding.  
  


Wufei had already fallen asleep in Treize's arms and the ginger-haired man smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his temple.Trowa then extended a helping hand to Quatre, pulling him to his feet.The little blonde shivered in the chilly night air, and clutched Trowa closer.He yawned delicately and squeezed Trowa's hand, signaling his desire to sleep.

"Goodnight, everyone.Quatre's nearly falling asleep on his feet…" Trowa whispered, and picked up the sleepy blonde.Together they trudged away from the other three, to their room.

Trowa placed Quatre into bed, and crawled in next to him.He snuggled up to his Angel, kissing his cheek softly.

Quatre sighed happily.

The dojo idea is a success, Treize, Wufei and Zechs are happy, Trowa and I are still together…Duo…Duo loves me…all is forgiven. He thought, his heart warming. Things are looking promising…a brand new start for us all.I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

The End.

There ya go! Done! All is well, nothing else needs explaining? I bloody well hope not!! ::exhausted sigh:: Quatre really _isn't the only one who's exhausted…I am, too!_

~ Wannon-chan ~


End file.
